


The Dixon's Merry

by Victorianara



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Bottom Harry Potter, Good Sibling Merle Dixon, Leadership, M/M, Master of Death Harry Potter, Merle Dixon Lives, Mpreg, Potions Accident, Protective Merle Dixon, Sassy Harry Potter, Single Parent Harry Potter, Slow Burn, Slow To Update, Uncle Daryl Dixon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-15 15:48:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 38,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29316609
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Victorianara/pseuds/Victorianara
Summary: Almost two years after the war, graduating from Hogwarts, and a few months after gaining custody of Teddy, Harry is transferred to the TWD world via Voldemort sympathizer attack. There he meets the love of his life and fulfils his greatest secret wish, but what's life without a bit of excitement, right?
Relationships: Merle Dixon/Harry Potter
Comments: 119
Kudos: 368





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys this is my first time posting on ao3, just now that ill try to update the next chapter next week!

The Dixon's Merry

DISCLAIMER: If I owned Harry Potter or TWD at the very least Harry wouldn't have married Ginny and Merle would have survived preferably never left behind in the first place.

SUMMARY: Almost two years after the war and becoming graduated from Hogwarts, and a few months after gaining custody of Teddy, Harry is transferred to the TWD world via Voldemort sympathizer attack. There he meets the love of his life and fulfils his greatest wish, but what's life without a bit of excitement, right?

"Avada Kedavra!" Two voices cried out as twin jets of blinding green light shot out to meet in the middle. As one opponents failed the other shot out and hit the opposing dueler in the chest.

Everything stilled and became silent as everyone stopped all movements, to stare at the disintegrating form of the most feared dark lord that had ever lived, and the man that had ended him.

Unearthly green eyes surveyed their surroundings as he tried to catch his breath after such fast paced dueling. Swallowing with his parched throat as the light individuals started to cheer and holler, and the dark, whom were frozen In place, looked on in shock as their seemingly undefeatable master slowly disappeared from the world for good, piece by piece.

Cracks of disapperition and stunning spells where heard as both sides finally snapped out of their stupor. Breathing heavily Harry made his way through the chaos and destruction that was once known as Hogwarts, seemingly in a adrenaline induced daze.

"Mr. Potter! Stay right there young man!" The familiar voice of the former Deputy Headmistress rang out as she made her way across the gravel filled field to him, followed closely behind by a worried looking Neville Longbottom.

Harry stood still and waited for them to reach him , leaning on a decent sized boulder as he slowly came out of his dazed state of mind.

"Are you okay, Mr. Potter?" Minerva puttered around him like the secret mother hen they all new she was. "Come, sit down you look like your about to topple over any moment." He complied with her wishes and sat on one of the smaller boulders in the field not to far away, just as his legs felt like they were about to give out from under him.

"I'm fine, honestly," Harry explained weakly with a tired smile on his face, "Seriously, I'm normally in the mediwing for a week, but this time I feel completely fine except for shock." He joked as they hovered around him.

"Mate it's a bloody miracle you haven't lost your head with this big of a stunt!" Neville admitted with an exhausted grin as he sat down next to him, shoulders slightly dropping down as the weight of the day finally released as he was able to marginally relax.

"While that certainly true, would you allow me to at least check for my own peace of mind?" Minerva asked as she leaned In a bit closer to get a better visual assessment to his well being.

Nodding his consent she immediately started casting diagnostic charms, he slumped back against Neville, sighting as he closed his eyes after discerning that they were the only ones there. She huffed a sigh of relief when only a few cuts and bruises where revealed on the paper. Opening his eyes again he saw as she to relaxed a little before nodding her head at him, and heading off to help with the aftermath of the battle. Now reassured in her mind that he wasn't in any imminent danger. Staying leaned against Neville, he started slowly relaxing all of his muscles one by one.

Startling when Neville asked him "So what are you going to do now." Turning his head to face him.

He paused as he considers the question, humming to himself before he replies "I really don't know anymore, it's like all the things I had planned don't really matter all that much to me anymore." My whole life has been centered around fighting and defeating Voldemort, that nothing else really mattered till now, I didn't think I would get this far alive, he thought to himself.

"Well," Neville started slowly, "why don't you take time to think about it, now that you have the chance." Humming to himself, Harry chewed on Neville's words for a minute, as he took in the far off tree line of the forbidden forest with its now uprooted trucks and smashed foliage. Well I could really use the time to cool down and sort through my emotions, he thought as he stretched his aching back with a satisfying pop.

"But how much can I take when there so much to do?" He turned to Neville.

"As much as you want," he said, "for what you've done for us, the least we can afford to you is time to yourself."

Scoffing a laugh "Try telling the Daily Prophet, and ministry busybodies that!" He snarked with a snarl. THEY'LL PROBABLY THINK THEY HAVE EVEN MORE OF A RIGHT TO MY LIFE THEN BEFORE, he thought with a disgusted sneer.

"Then tell them to stuff it where the sun don't shine down Merlin's britches," Neville stated face set firmly with his earlier confidence making a reappearance, "you need to start thinking about yourself and not about what others are going to say about you, or are you going to let them run your life how they please?" He questioned with a raised eyebrow. Harry's eyes softened with each word, HE'S RIGHT I HAVE TO START THINKING FOR MYSELF AND STOP BEING SO SELFLESS, I LITERALLY WALKED TO MY DEATH FOR THEM WHAT MORE CAN THEY ASK OF ME?

"You're right," he said as he hefted himself up, "I need time to myself and I'm going to take it Merlin damn anyone else, thanks mate, tell Minnie I'll be back in a few months." He embraced him tightly after he gathered his things and apperaitied away.

The first stop he made was to gringotts bank where he was promptly informed in the nicest way a goblin could, that he had only one week to gather all his belongings in both the black and Potter vaults before they were seized for compensation by the bank. In a hurry Harry made arrangements to move everything in all the vaults were added to the magically expanded compartments in his trunk, all objects and books in one and the money in another before being unceremoniously booted from the banks premises.

Shaking his head but feeling that he kinda deserved it, he made his way to Madame Madkins to get some suitable everyday wear, and to appease his paranoia special ordered armor and battle wear with specialized charms woven into the fabrics.

His next stop was the furniture and utensils store to buy a black, gem emerald studded choker that would hold an unlimited amount of storage In each of the ten gem studs, immediately afterwards placing his trunk in one stud and put on. He also bought a housing trunk with working water with cooling and heating charms worked into the framework, which be also placed in his choker.

He then visited the house and kitchen utility's store and bought everything he though he might need which, consisted of: furniture for both grimmauld place and his new trunk, food from their conjoined grocery store, cushions and mattresses, blankets and kitchen supplies that would make a chef drool with envy. Satisfied with his haul, he then went home to grimmauld place and after consoling Kreatcher managed to clean up a spare bedroom besides the staircase before passing out In exhaustion.

Opening his tired eyes the next day, Harry slowly sat up while rubbing his sleep addled eyes. Exhausted even though this was the first decent sleep he's had in almost an entire year. Yawning widely as he called for Kreatcher for breakfast which consisted toast and a fried egg as he didn't feel he could eat very much else after surviving off of so little for so long. He was no longer used to such diets as he spent most of the year at Hogwarts and only three months surviving the Dursleys.

Still tired, he got out of bed and begain the slow process of sorting and organizing the heirlooms and books of both the Black's and Potter's while also adding the already existing black library to the others because why not. After he finishing he but weapons and armor in one of the first stud on his choker, heirlooms and other such objects in the second, clothes where either thrown away, donated or but into his trunk with was in the middle fifth stud, and all books where sorted by category into the library of his housing trunk.

Stretching out his sore back muscles, he slowly stood and made his way around the house. After noticing the level of cleaning needed he sighted and with some help from the aging Kreatcher managed to clean one third of the house for the rest of the day. Having a light dinner of chicken soup and bread, he finally moved back to the room he claimed as his on the second floor, and retired for the day.

For the next several days Harry filled his days with cleaning his new home and meditating as he found that one of the things he really wanted to do was achieve his animagus form like his father and godfather before him. He even made a fully stocked and equipped potions lab after a visit to an apothecary to make the revel potion.

So for the next several days he found himself meditating as a means to calm himself and to try and find his animagus form. This continued on until he was met with a wider pair of eyes just like his own, set upon an ebony face of a large black panther with its tail swinging back and forth in a calm matter.

Since then he's caught himself acting in distinctly feline actions out of no where, he wouldn't have really noticed if one of the these actions included licking non existent fur on his hands and rubbing his face in an attempt to clean himself. He's also noticed that his emotions have become noticeably stable and calmer since then.

He continued taking the potion untill he noticed weather patterns indicating a big storm, and started preparing for the animagus ritual. He woke up the next day with the most odd sense of peacefulness balled up in his chest that he just remained on the carpet he woke up on for half the day, before a grumbling stomach and sore muscles make him move. He can now shift into a large black panther with wide green eyes with little to no sclera, that looks to have white kohl around them with a white slanted lighting bolt on the right side of its chest.

Another change that happened when he was contacted by Andromeda on behalf of visiting Teddy. At first he was apprehensive about visiting, as he was scared he would see the ghost of Remus and Tonks, whom he had been informed to have died while in battle, he didn't leave his bed for two days after he found out and was sadly and glad at the same time that he hadn't seen their bodies before he left and instead was informed by Neville who he kept in contact with throughout and ignored all the unidentifiable letters besides Andromeda's. Still he felt it was he's duty to visit as he didn't want Teddy to be without a godfather as he had while growing up.

Any doubts of his abilities to bond with Teddy went out the window within two seconds of the baby's presence. He fell in love at first sight when he smiled a one tooth smile at him before shrieking out a delighted laugh, seeing his smile and hearing his laughter as he held him in his arms was like a balm to a hole In his heart he hadn't even known was there.

Afterwards he then started rotating his time with most of it spent bonding with Teddy and the rest was spent learning new magics and gaining new knowledge both magical and muggle. He even took Teddy out with him on little shopping trips here and there, under a disillusionment charms.

About a month and half after officially meeting his godson, he decided it was time to return to Hogwarts to help with repairs before the next school year could begin.

After spending the whole day with Teddy and Andromeda along with promising weekend and holiday visits, he finally went back to Hogwarts after alerting Neville of his impending arrival.

Arriving at the newly rebuilt gates of Hogwarts at the agreed upon time, Harry was greeted with the tight, rib breaking embrace of Neville Longbottom with an amused Minerva watching from within the opened gates.

"Urg," Harry strained to say between strained breaths, "Nev, mate, I do need my ribs intact to breathe, you know that right?" Letting out a wheezing laugh as he was released, he took in exaggerated deep breaths while clinging to his aching sides. "I think you might've broke one or two."

"It'll do you good young man," an amused Minerva said with a small quirk at her lips, "not even saying a quick goodbye, then disappearing without a word except to dear Neville there. For shame on you."

"Aw, come on Minnie," he fluttered his lashes at her, "you now I love you, and wouldn't be able to live without your lovely voice as you scold me for doing some idiotic thing or another." He grinned as he dodged the small stinging hex she flew at him. Smirking at him as she placed her wand back up her robes sleeves.

Neville laughed as he began leading him up the now cleared out path to the main entrance of Hogwarts. Minerva excusing herself once they reached the main doors as she had to make further arrangements for the upcoming school year.

He and Neville then took a self guided tour around the newly rebuilt walls of Hogwarts, marveling at how except for their memories and some incomplete construction sites, it almost appeared as if half the castle was never blown apart during a battle. After finishing their small tour they began helping with the construction by following the instructions of the workers, mostly fetching things they needed or helping with levitating large pieces of the walls into place. After a while when the sun was beginning to set, the construction workers called it a day as it was dangerous to continue in the dark even with Lumos charms, and set off towards the Great hall for dinner. Halfway there in the middle of a enlightening conversation about magical fruits and there properties, they were interrupted.

"Harry James Potter! Where in Merlin's bloody name have you been for the past few months without even a single word to me." A red faced Ginny Weasely all but screamed as she stomped her feet, making her way towards him from the end of the hall, Ron and Hermione following a little ways behind her.

"Well I was taking some time off to cool down a bit," he started as she made it to where he and Neville had paused and waited in the middle of the hallway, "I also took time to sort through some things that has been bugging me for awhile."

"Well, that's bloody great an all mate, but you could have at least come to us first." Ron said as he caught up with Hermione a bit behind him clutching a set of books to her chest.

"Yeah, you could have at least told me, as your girlfriend I have a right to helped you after all." Ginny huffed as she crossed her arms with a vexed expression on her face.

Sharing a slightly confused look of irritation with Neville he replied, "Wait, wait, wait. Girlfriend? Ginny, I broke up with you a year and half ago," he said slowly with his look of confusion turning to annoyance, "and even if you were still my girlfriend I would have still done the same thing as I wanted to be left alone." He stated firmly with a bit of his annoyance leaking into his voice.

"Oh silly Har-bear," she laughed with a strained smile set upon her face, "everyone knows that we only broke up so that you could protect me, and now that you've defeated you-know-who you can start dating me again as it won't put me in any danger anymore." She said with an expectant look as she blinked her eyes at him in a quick session.

"Yeah, everyone knows that," Ron said as he started puffing out his chest in obvious pride, ignoring the growing look of horror and irritation that was slowly overtaking Harry's face with each word they said, "and, as her older brother and your best mate, it is my duty as both, to inform you that I expect you to take responsibility and marry her."

With a clearly vexed expression on his face, Harry took a deep calming breath as he felt his irritation building before saying, "OK, no first of all Ginny, I didn't brake up with you because I trying to protect you, I broke up with you because I truly didn't want to date you anymore as I only see you as my friends younger sister," he'd told her, as her and Ron's faces began to take on twin sets of red hues as their hair as their anger started to build, as he turned to face Ron, "and sorry Ron but no, I know you want me and Hermione to be officially part of your family, but I'm not in any way, shape or form getting back with your sister or marrying her for that matter either."

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU SAYING MATE! you were supposed to get back together with Ginny, then you an I would've married her and Hermione once we've all graduated and become aurors together!" Ron finally exploded out as his face maxed out at a purple maroon color as he steadily got angrier before releasing it. Ginny agreeing quite loudly from beside him, as Hermione retreated to a octave as she didn't want to get involved, watching them argue.

Harry was starting to get angry himself as he to raised his voice, "What I'm saying is that I don't want to get back together with a girl that would also be seeing other bloody guys before and after the break up, along with the fact that I have zero feelings for her except through you as she's your sister, and for another thing who are you to decide who I spend the rest of my life with and what career path I'm going to take, I am no longer interested in being an auror as I did in second year, I only said that in the first place because you wanted to become one together and at the time it seemed like a good idea." He raged on at them as his temper slowly started to get the better of him along with his newly honed instincts screaming at him to get rid of the two annoyances. "And for another thing I still wouldn't have gotten back together with her or any other female for that matter." He stated firmly.

Gasping, as she covered her mouth with her hands "Harry James Potter, you take that back, you aren't a bloody poof, your just confused right now, that's all." Ginny shrieked in outrage, so loud that she almost burst his eardrums as it echoed down the corridor. She then began to tremble with rage as she started huffing like an angry buff seconds away from charging, as Ron clenched his fist as be to began to tremble.

"Yes, I am a poof." Harry stated loud enough so that the curious eavesdroppers behind the corners of the hallway could hear as it echoed down the walls, "its one of the reasons I broke up with you in the first place, as I felt no physical attraction to you what so ever. I, Harry James Potter am gay, I am attracted to males." He clarified loudly. "So get whatever misguided notion that we might be getting back together because it is not happening, ever." He finished with a tone of finality.

"B-b-but you can't be gay, you've never showed any signs, and your supposed to get back with Ginny." Ron stuttered weakly in defense as he repeated his argument like a broken record player as his face took on a more greenish white hue. Hermione said nothing at all as she kept her head down behind the octave she was hiding in.

"Well I am, and there's nothing you can do about it either, if you don't like it then to bad for you because I'm not going to change." He shrugged as he turned to continue on to the great hall with Neville, with parting shot of his shoulder as he turned the corner, "Not like you've ever been the best of friends to begin with."

He continued with a shell shocked Neville following close behind him. Looking over his shoulder at him as he paused before entering the hall. Seeing his wary look Neville shook himself lose of his shock and returned it with a grin. Sighting with relief as he still had one loyal friend, he continued on into the hall and sat down across from some other seventh years from both Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff that had volunteered to help with the construction as Neville took his side.

Starting to fill his plate with roasted beef and various roasted vegetables while as starting up a conversation with them, he noticed as the Weasely duo and Hermione entered the hall ,and after shooting angry glares in his direction sat down at the opposite table furthest from him. He shrugged before carrying on with the conversation ,as he debated with Neville and one over Ravenclaw about the integrity of hidden tree houses he could feel the heat of their glares in the back of his neck.

Minerva entered shortly after making her way to the Headmistress seat and before sitting down herself she informed them that they were on track to starting the next school year with a completed castle and thanking them for helping with this endeavor, she sat down and began helping herself to her own supper.

After they had finished eating Minerva made her way down to them and lead them to their quarters in the Eastern second floor, and after deciding to bunk together with Neville, Harry settled in for tonight in his chosen bed and fell asleep quickly, exhausted from his long day.

The next few weeks followed in a mixture of helping with finishing the construction, talking with Neville, Minerva, and later on Luna, who Neville had begun dating, fending off unwanted advances from Ginny, who had convinced herself that he was just confused with his hormones, and visiting with his beloved little godson, who he always got a smile and a laugh from whenever he saw him.

It wasn't to long before they had finished construction and the next school year had started session, Harry was awarded the head boy position and his own quarters, along with a Ravenclaw perfect as head girl much to the disgruntled outrage of Hermione who had been expecting the position.

As he sat at the head of the Griffindor table with Neville and this year's perfects, he watched as the first years were sorted, he couldn't help getting a sense of nostalgia as he reminisced about his own sorting. Snorting to himself in amusement as he thought of the faces the majority would have made if he had actually allowed the hat to sort him into Slytherin.

Coming out of his thoughts as the sorting itself began, majority of them going to grinfindor, close numbers going to both Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, and a small hand full going to Slytherin. After Minerva had begun the welcoming feast, Harry had multiple people from all houses come up to him and ask the oddest questions about him.

Answering some more modest questions and shooting down the personal and rude, he completely ignoring most of them with the remaining of Hogwarts Weaselys glaring daggers at him.

Harry finished his supper and after a few words to his tables perfects and then some to the other perfects about confirming the schedule he and the head girl, Marilyn Silverdust, made for patrols, he stayed back to make sure there were no stragglers and that all students were heading towards their designated quarters. Before heading towards his after sending out an owl to Andromeda about his day, and after changing he fell asleep early so that he would be well rested before his shift later on in the night.

The next few months were then filled with going to classes, avoiding obvious students, ignoring all attempts from Ron and the weaslette, and visiting and writing to Teddy as much as possible. As he began to get into a rythem he passed the days with the awe of the student population, spite of the Weaselys, as after the first few days he had received a howler from Mrs. Weasely agreeing with Ron and Ginny that he should give up the notion of being gay and marry Ginny as he should.

Harry then gave up on retaining contact with them as all the Weaselys he really cared for were dead the twins during the battle one after the other, Charlie from being incinerated by a death eaters stray fire shoot spell, and Bill hadn't survived Fenrir's attack, who left a depressed Fleur a widow before passing from injures she had sustained from a misfired spell during a death eater raid.

He continued on with his schooling, frustrating Hermione as he went by getting all of the top grades in all of his classes. He spent most of his time in Hogwarts speaking only with Neville and Luna, avoiding everyone else, and visiting his godson when he could.

Leading up to today, the day of the eighth and seventh years graduation from Hogwarts, he gets his diploma as well as gaining the valedictorian position by passing as his NEWTs with all O's or OO's.

He gave a short speech about his time at Hogwarts as Minerva had asked of him to before apperaiting away with a promise to write to Neville, as he had seen the Weasely clan start to make their way towards him with a determined look in their eyes.

It hadn't been even two weeks since he's graduated, as he sits at the small dining table in the kitchen enjoying the simple breakfast he had made himself as Kreatcher had passed while he was at Hogwarts, that he starts getting mail from random people, some job offers, congratulations, and fan mail, the others from people he didn't even now demanding that he become an auror as it was expected of him from the public, and some even encouraged that he get back together with Ginny as they would make an almost exact replica of his parents.

Shuddering in disgust at the latter letters because what kind of kid wants to so much like their parents they would even marry someone who looks like them, Well Draco might as he has always tried to imitate his father, he mused with a snort and another shudder. After sorting through them all and throwing out the majority of them and keeping the job offers, as even though he knew he didn't want to be a auror or anything similar as he had already had his fair share of fighting, he still hadn't exactly decided what he wants to be, he decided to go to Diagon alley to see if they had a list of sorts for jobs. He wanted to see if any spoke to him and after picking a few maybe consulting in Andromeda on what would be the better option for him.

After dressing up in his forest green and black trimmed closed robes that hid his set of battle attire, that he always had on only taking it off to wash and change, which consisted of black basilisk skin knee high military style strap boots, black dragon hide trousers, emerald green skin hugging top with mid wrist length sleeves that resized itself to fit him to a T, that had a hood on the back for easy disguisment, and his ever present choker and notice-me-not wand holsters on both arms. He cast a mild disillusionment charm upon himself and apperaitied to Hogs End and after asking Tom, under a glamour, of if he had any idea where he could find a list of sorts for jobs, then entered Diagon Alley and headed straight for the small office looking building at the far end of the alley near gringotts banks, as tom had said it was the job office where they documented, listed, and distributed any possible job.

Upon entering he was directed towards a smaller office inside the building after asking the greetings man where could go for job options. As he knocked on the door, he was led into the room and sat down as he was asked for what his visit was for, and gaining a copy of a long list of possible jobs and/or apprenticeships. After thanking the office worker, he then left to sit at a quaint little cafe hidden in a far corner of the alley.

After enjoying a fresh cuppa honeyed tea and munching on some chocolate tea cakes in one of the more secluded seating's offered in the café, he wondered if he should buy some of the small tea cakes for Teddy who was already showing his sires love for all things chocolate, he brought out a muggle pink highlighter and one black and blue pen from his expanded pocket and began working though the long list.

Marking through the ones that interested him with the highlighter and crossing the ones that he knew he wouldn't even consider out with the black pen. After that was done he went back to the ones that were highlighted and made little notes next to them on as to why that job particularly interested him with the blue pen.

Satisfied with his work, he looked up from the now colorful parchment and noticed he had spent nearly an hour and a half at the café. Standing up and stretching his muscles with a satisfying crack, he placed his things back into his robes pocket and after ordering more of the chocolate tea cakes for Teddy and Andromeda, he then set off to do some more small shopping.

Making his way done the ally he was startled slightly by the sudden shriek of "-ARRY JAMES POTTER, why haven't you been to the burrow for the past two weeks young man, we've been waiting for you," He turned around at the familiar tone and noticed Molly Weasely making her way towards him, along with Ron, Hermione, and Ginny right behind her, her loud yelling parting the crowd of onlookers like the muggle christians Moses and the red sea, "or at the very lease written!" She finished off as she finally made it to were he was standing, wondering if he should just apperaitie away from the storm that was bound to give him a headache.

Scrunching up his brows in confusion at her words "I haven't been around any of you because I no longer want to associate with people who only think about themselves and try to make me get together with someone I don't want to be with." The crowd around them gasped at his blunt choice of words as he spoke in aggravation, cursing himself for not putting on a glamour before leaving the cafe. His words causing the crowd to start muttering to themselves, some in outrage, some agreeing with him some with the Weaselys, and some in intrigued curiosity. The Weaselys went red at his words and the continued mutterings from the crowd.

Starting to stutter in forced pleasantre Mrs. Weasely tried to reach out to take his arm, "What nonsense are you spouting dear, of course we care about your happiness, it's just that we can't believe someone who was so obviously happy straight can turn gay," she said, flushing even more as he jerked his arm away before she could grasp it, "And you were so happy being with Ginny before, so please stop with this disgraceful charade and ask her out again." She finished as he grew more and more baffled at their shear self-entitelment, with every word out of her mouth, even going so far as to push a smug looking Ginny in front of him.

Sneering as he turned from the red headed greedy creature in front of him to the other red head matriarch he said very clearly much to the crowds joy, "I am in no way shape or form getting back together with Ginny Weasely as I clearly told Ron before we started our last year of Hogwarts, and I am not putting on an act, I am gay and even if I wasn't I still wouldn't get back with a girl that cheated on me while we were still dating all the while hanging off my arm like an unwanted whining barnacle. if you don't like it then all well Merlin's saggy balls it's not your choice now is it?" He asked of them as they all started trembling in rage. Smirking as they tried to save face by making up every excuse in the book for theirs and Ginny's actions all while raging at him for speaking so badly about Ginny.

Snapping in rage at his satisfied smirk, Mrs. Weasely all but screamed at him, "HARRY JAMES POTTER, YOU WILL CEASE THIS NONSENSE AT ONCE, you will be getting back together with Ginny, and you will marry her at the end of this month, we've already have everything planned so you don't have to worry about a thing dear," she finished sweetly at the end, Ginny rapidly nodding her head in agreement with her mother, as if her mothers demands had fixed everything between them and convinced him to marry Ginny instead of just getting back together with her, to the wide eyed disbelief of Harry and the crowd.

All was deadly silent all around them, as an enormous rage built up inside of him at the shear audacity of the people in front of him, who looked so proud of themselves as they continued to watch him expectantly, before exploding out,

"Where in Merlin's name did you get the absurd idea that just because you went ahead and planned an unneeded wedding would make me want get back with the twat that is known as Ginny, instead of getting as far away as possible, and even have the gall to tell me what is and isn't my sexuality, and am just acting gay just so that I won't have to get back together with her," he shouted as his cheeks started to flush with rage, suddenly an idea popped into his head straighting his spine, squaring his his shoulders and squaring his jaw, he lifted his head a bit higher and smirked at their startled look before going on with,

"Since my words won't get into your thick skulls how about this. I, Lord Harry James Potter-Black, Head of the most ancient and Noble house of Potter, Head of the most ancient and Noble house of Black, hereby vow that I will not, nor ever want to, ever marry the one named, Ginerva Molly Weasely, daughter of the Weasely matriarch Molly and patriarch Arthur of the Weasely house, so mote it be!" He swore on his magic as he turned and apperaitied away to Andromeda's cottage, done with everything, except Teddy and Andromeda. Leaving behind a stunned silent crowd of onlookers, quickly scribbling reporters, and embarrassed Weaselys as they to hurried to get away from the eye of the public for a few days.

Several days afterwards, and after many dramatically reported stories about his little excursion in Diagon Alley, as he was in his study looking through and researching about the three job options that he had narrowed down from the ten he had initially chosen.

The first being taking a course that if he passed he would become a licensed Medi-Wizard, the second becoming a professional chef, and the last acting as a survivalist guide to a group of people two to three times a year. A pretty well rounded choice of options that suited him as Andromeda had said, as all that way left was choosing which one to do.

Sorting through applications for each job and requirements, he noticed a large brown horned barn owl that St. Mungo's usually used to send out missives for patients and family members. Wondering as to why it was at his window, as he let it in and relieved it of its burden as he gave it an owl treat and a small dish of water. Unfolding it to find out that it was a summons for him to come and pick up one Teddy Lupin as Andromeda has been admitted to the healing ward of St. Mungo's for her failing health. Dropping the letter as he quickly grabbed his coat and after letting the owl out, he left in a hurry to arrive at St. Mungo's to pick up his godson and find out what was happening.

As he arrived he was directed to room number 203. Quickly walking into the room he grabbed a disgruntled gurgling Teddy off of the nurse in the room and placed him in his lap to settle now that he was comfortable with the person holding him.

Grabbing a hold of Andromeda's hand as the healer that admitted came in to inform him that Andromeda was no longer fit to take proper care of Teddy as she was in the process of being permanently admitted to St. Mungo's care for her failing physical health. Gripping her hand as she gave him a list of Teddy's needs and a written schedule of his week by day, he let out a few tears as he promised her that they would visit everyday and getting a laugh as he whispered conspiring that he would also bring food with him.

After a few hours of quietly talking with the now frail looking older woman. He quickly apperaitied to Andromeda's small cottage to gather and shrink hers and Teddy's things in separate expanded bags, pausing on a picture of Remus an Tonks holding a newborn Teddy their arms beaming up at him from the picture quickly placing it in his pocket set on asking Andromeda for a copy to add to the wall frame of his house trunk next to a older picture and mode recent picture of Sirius. He also had the picture album that Hagrid gave him with picture of his parents and younger Sirius and Remus safely stored on the mantle below the hanging pictures. leaving the bags at Grimmauld place to unpack later on along with taking Andromeda a few choice things once settled into her own room.

He then left with Teddy securely in his arms to visit the baby supplies shop she had mentioned to get the majority of the baby supplies such as diapers, to browse and immediately buying a expensive extensively protected baby carrier that strapped Teddy to his chest or back. Now that his arms where freed up as Teddy was now secured to his chest, he grabbed a basket and picked up a few things to add to Andromeda's already impressive pile of baby and toddler things, along with some extra diapers and milk formula, he didn't grab and caned baby food as once Teddy could be started on solids he would make the food himself as he didn't trust the stuff in a can. Finishing up with his shopping he placed his purchases into a empty stud on his choker that he would later make into his Teddy supplies stud.

Leaving the shop he made his way to Burgons and Botts, as he browsed a few of the selves looking for books on baby and toddler care along with older child care as well so that he could be prepared early in advance to what he should typically expect, a few people stopping what they were doing and pointing at him with Teddy strapped to his chest, and went to the cashier to buy the books he wanted to purchase.

Stepping out of the store, it appeared as the news of his charge had already reached the ears of the reporters, as he was meet with a slew of rabid reporters all asking questions on as to why he had Teddy, was he he's biologically, and if this is actually why he hadn't got back together with Ginny. And as if summoned by someone calling her wretched name there she was with the usual gaggle behind her. A smug smirk on their faces for their perceived win against him.

"So is that," she pointed at happily gurgling Teddy with a dispraising sneer, "the reason you won't do your duty and marry me," she simpered disgustingly, "well your just going to have to send him back to the skew that had him, as I won't be taking care of anybody else's spawn." She scrunched her nose at the baby, as she had the gall to try and command of him to get rid of his precious godson.

Lifting a brow as he steadily grew, with the feeling that he was starting to associate with the beings called Ginerva, Molly, Ron, and Hermione, enraged at their dissing of Remus and Tonks persons, sneering as he said. "I would want to now what possible duty could I have for you as I'm pretty sure that everyone and their mother by now know's that I made a oath a few days ago to never marry you, or has your feeble brains already forgotten that fact?" He questioned with a sharp tongue much to the enjoyment of the crowd of reporters, the Weaselys faces flushing once more at his words, "And just so you know I didn't have him, even though I officially acknowledge him as my son, he is my godson of Remus and Tonks wishes before they died, two amazing people who's memories you just spat on," he hissed dangerously at them as they slowly backed away from his enraged frame his magic starting to crackle in the air around him. "not that it's any of your business what I do anyway, so stay the bloody hell away from me as I don't want to listen to your ridiculous drabble anymore, forever hopefully." He spat at them as he turned his back to their continued shrieking as they gained their courage back now that he wasn't facing them, and took a nearby floo to Grimmaulds place to settle Teddy into his new home.

Going through some of the baby books he bought while Teddy was taking a nap in his crib beside him. Coming across a startling section that said male birthed baby's need a bit more attention then the female birthed especially during the first few months of their lives.

Flabbergasted at this knowledge, he did more research and found that male wizards can naturally carry a baby inside of a magically created womb for seven and half months, which is why they need more attention then regular babies, but if they reach the four month mark as most babies did they would be as healthy as any other baby. Smiling happily to himself at the knowledge that he would be able to have a baby of his own, not that Teddy wasn't his, if he ever got himself a partner, Which i don't see happening anytime soon, he thought bitterly to himself. Because as much as he wanted someone to share his life with he did not want a worshipper that thought the very dirt he walked on was some kind of holy artifact. Which was true as most of the male magical population were either jealous of his fame or worshiped him as hero.

Shaking his head of the thought of having more children and saving it for much, much later on. He went back to the book he was reading before that particularly interesting tidbit caught his attention. Humming to himself as Teddy continued snoozing away into the afternoon.

A few months passed by with the regular visits to Andromeda, and fixing his days to revolve around bonding and taking care of Teddy, as well as reading books about childcare, healing, botany, and potions. He decided to go with the survivalist guide as it only occurs two or three times a year, as he could learn healing at home and still get a license if he passed the test, along with always cooking their meals, even trying out new recipes and making some of his own, bringing some with him every time they visited Andromeda which is quite frequently if not daily.

He decided to go with it as the others would have token up to much of his time, which he couldn't have as he needs to raise Teddy. Not that caring for him was any hassle at all, as he was quite a happy baby, unless Harry wasn't within his eyesight then he would show his wolf inheritance that he got from Remus as it shined through quite literally through his eyes as they would turn gold as he howled until Harry returned to him, he was also showing his mother's ability of metamorphosis by randomly changing his hair and/or eyes with his moods or to imitate Harry, which brought Andromeda to tears of both joy and grief once he did it in front of her.

Such as it was not all was well, as much as she tried to hang on her health was deteriorating at a high rate and there was nothing the healers could do, so as the days go by and she gets worse and worse he tried to prepare himself for the apparent inevitable, and it worked, partially.

Andromeda Marianna Tonks nee Black passed away on January, 14 of 2011 at exactly four thirty in the morning after slipping into a comatose state the day before. And as much as he prepared for it, it still hit him hard as this was the very first person that was taken from him by presumably natural means, some would expect him to feel a bit better about it as it's the first natural death in all of his almost 20 years worth of life that it just hit him harder then he expected, as all the others where taken from him by the hands of others quite suddenly.

So as to cope, he secluded himself and Teddy inside of Grimmauld place only coming out to arrange and attend Andromeda's short but beautiful funeral. After which he spent the next two weeks not coming out of grimmaulds place and for which bonded even closer to Teddy if possible. Now calling him Sirius and Remus's term of endearment "cub" when speaking directly to him. Which pleased his panther side as it had already imprinted upon Teddy as it's cub.

He spent those weeks spending all of his time with Teddy on his hip or strapped to his chest as he cooked, cleaned and lazed about reading letting him play with his fingers, slightly longer hair, and clothes as he liked while he did so. When Teddy was asleep or napping, if he wasn't also napping himself he would read as much as he could get his hands on trying out new spells, learning about herbs and their uses, and even new survival tips. Sometimes when he feels up to it he'd send a letter to Neville as he was the only person he would willing talk to besides Luna and Minerva.

It carried on this way until he decided he's mourned enough as it was, and they needed new baby supplies anyway.

Pulling on his long black robes over his usual self cleaning battle wear, which he only took off to bath, and strapping Teddy into his chest carrier he set out to the baby store to by a few months worth of diapers, formula, and new clothing for Teddy, as well as grabbing a few things Teddy reached for as he was a sucker to his puppy eyes.

Placing all of the new purchases into his now designated Teddy supplies stud on his choker he left the store with a now happy gurgling Teddy gnawing on his new bib with a new set of teeth.

As he left the shop he felt a prickling sense in the back of his neck and had enough time to whip around with the elder wand in his hand, before his view was obscured by a heavy white mist, as he heard screaming from all around him and mad crackling in front of him, he shot of a strong full body bind curse at the crackling that so reminds him of Bellatrix, as he held on to a strapped down Teddy he felt disoriented as it felt as if the floor beneath him disappeared from beneath his feet.

On February, 12 of 2011 Harry Potter and his charge Edward Lupin disappeared from both the wizarding and muggle world, as the assailant was apprehended and realeased from a powerful body bind still cackling, officially reported as the last known spell used by Mr. Potter. After extensive questioning under veratiserum it was found that the assailant, a Thadeus Baden, was a Voldemort sympathizer that had thrown a unknown potion at Mr. Potter that once it hit the ground in front of him produced a thick white mist, that after a few minutes and the mist had cleared it was found that Mr. Potter and a one and a half year old Edward Lupin who was strapped to his chest in a baby carrier had simply disappeared never to be seen or heard from again even after extensive searching from the wizarding worlds finest. A trial was held for Mr. Baden that concluded in a sentence of life in Azkaban in the highest security holdings. He died thirteen years in due to unknown complications. Read page six for the following Weasely family freakout.

AU: the next chapter will carry on with Harry landing in the middle of a forest, this will be the last time I mention the Wizarding world unless its some sort of flashback from Harry. Also if you read any of my other stories and are waiting for an update, sorry I only really wrote those because I wanted to get some of my ideas out of my head, not that I won't update them it just won't be in the near future. Ps, ill try to get the next chapter of this out next week, key word try.


	2. Meeting the Dixon's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After waking up in the middle of a field, and attacked by a inferi like creature, Harry finds that he has been transferred to another world. Heading towards a refugee camp, he decides to stay with the two brothers he helped, camping out in the quarry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AU: OK, so I noticed something I missed in the last chapter, besides grammar mistakes and such, character descriptions. So if you want to now how I'm picturing them as I write, here they are.  
>  Harry, I picture as 5'6, I wanted him to be short but not to short, with pale skin that starts to bronze due to sun exposure, Minato style of a spiked mess hairstyle, long bangs, short back, and black. Along his iconic green eyes, that glow from his panther's influence, framed by almond eyes and lashes. I kinda picture him with the movie versions jaw only less squarish and more slender. And his clothes are going to be his battle wear only with a few changes to blend in, such a enlarging his shirt so that it resembles a quarter sleeved hoody and changing his trousers into black yoga pants, that looks to have a scale pattern, leaving his boots to be unchanged.  
>  As for Teddy, he look like any other baby but with cute dimples, a full head of color changing, brownish black usually, hair, and a body full of joyful babyness for godfather and group.  
>  Merle, I kind of picture as the movie did only with a less severe jaw, sandy brown hair peppered with grey and cobalt blue eyes. He also wears the same clothes as the TV version, which is a white T-shirt, olive green coat and brown cargo pants.  
>  Daryl, I picture as the series did. Go Daryl! PS was I the only one shocked by the Rick actor Andrew Lincolns english accent?

Tiredly cracking open his eyes at the sounds of birds chirping all around him. Freezing in place, as he felt around his unfamiliar surroundings, only reassured by the warm weight of Teddy on his chest, sitting up slowly he cautiously looked around to observe his immediate surroundings. He, and a still sleeping Teddy, had somehow appeared in the middle of a over grown field surrounded by trees. Jerking to the side slightly as memories of the previous day suddenly ran through his mind, quickly ending with someone throwing a vial of something at him that exploded into a thick white mist.

Realizing that was his last memory before he had blacked out from the strong disoriented feeling of losing the ground from below his feet somehow, coupled with a strong sense of being pulled somewhere fast. He cast several different purpose diagnostic charms upon Teddy first, and then himself. Sighting with relief, as all that came up was a few minor scrapes and small bruises, no sunburns as it was early dawn, and in his case mild nausea. Casting a few spells to disinfect and purify the skin around the scrapes and lathering it with a tiny bit of murtlap essence, putting on a bit of bruise balm, and taking a nausea potion, they were as spick as span.

Standing he made his way towards the treeline, taking a seat under the shade as he woke Teddy for feeding and a nappy change, banishing the waste and he then placed a contently gurgling Teddy back in his strap and cuddled with him for a bit to regain his energy. Resting a bit against the tree he was taking shelter under, he contemplated what to do next as his panther prowled around in his mind, discontent. Deciding he wanted to now where exactly he was, as his gut was giving off a strange feeling, he cast a tempus, the glowing blue letters spelling out 2:17pm in the air, and set off towards the closest town with a quick point me spell.

But, before he could even get a few feet away, something strange happened, a unsteadily stumbling figure, with a foul odor emitting from it, started to make its way out of the brush. As a ray of sunlight hit it he was horrified, at the sight of an inferi like creature as it made its way slowly towards him, shielding a napping Teddy as he took in the male forms torn out neck, with bits of rotten flesh hanging from its exposed torso, to it snapping jaws and glazed eyes, Very similar to an inferi, IF IT WENT VERY WRONG, AS IT WAS VISIBLY DECOMPOSING, WHILE INFERIUS USUALLY STAY IN A STASIS LIKE STATE ONCE MADE, he compared to himself as he cast a slicing curse at its head, watching as it fell. Cursing to himself, NOW WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN INTO, as he searched for the tallest tree he could find, before levitating himself up by his trousers to a sturdy branch high off the ground, so that he could get a scope of where exactly he landed.

His emerald eyes widening into a horror filled stare as be spotted what looked like a moderately sized town flooded with hordes of the inferi like creatures, standing the area around them with blood and gore, painting the streets red.

After staring, shocked to his core, at the grotesque sight in the distance for a little while, his panther's low growl ringing in his mind startled him out of his horrified shock. Grabbing his firebolt from his shrunken trunk, he made sure Teddy was secured to his chest, before taking off in the opposite direction of the town, searching from an aerial view for a safe place to set down and make camp, while he tried to figure out what the bloody hell happened while he was out for one, bloody, day.

~

After spending an hour and a half flying, going over a few more towns with the same problem as the last, he landed on the planks of an old looking but sturdy tree houses deck, in the middle of the wood and miles away from any of the towns he had seen so far. He decided to make this his base for the time being, until he could find something better.

Keeping a lightly snoozing Teddy strapped to his chest he began setting up strong protective, detection, and repelling charms around the base of the tree. Once he was done he made his way back up the tree, pulling his housing trunk out of the fourth stud and went inside.

Placing Teddy down on a soft fluffy blanket in the play pen near him, watching as he rolled around his pen playing with the his favorite stuffed black panther toy. Processing the events of the past day and a half leading up till now, he decided to somehow get his hands on any type of information as to what happened, as with the amount of walkers, he decided to call them as they weren't inferi but at the same time were the walking dead, in each town he would bet that it would be just as bad if not worse in larger cities, as this type of thing doesn't just happen overnight even though that's what it seemed like to him.

Nodding in agreement to his plan, he contented himself with making an early supper for himself and mashed up some bananas and strawberries in a smaller bowl for Teddy. Relaxing his sore muscles in the lightly steaming engulfment of a bath with a tuckered out Teddy in his lap, as he settled down, after dressing in comfortable loose night pants, into his bed with an already sleeping Teddy in his crib facing him. His panther's loud purring the last thing he remembered as he fell asleep.

~

The next day after a light breakfast, with a fed and still sleepy Teddy, he took out his broom and started in the direction of the nearest town. After a few minutes of covering the miles with the help of his firebolt, he arrived in the town a few miles out from his base, hovering just above the towns highest rooftop a good few yards in the air. A few of the inferi noticed him, their growing intensified as they tried to reach for him to no avail, he ignored them as there was no way they could reach him unless they grew wings, snorting in disgust at the idea of a rotting flesh eating corpse on wings, he continued looking for anything from newspapers to flyers, that wasn't already ruined by the amount of gore in the road caused by dead half eaten bodies and said flesh eating corpses. Spotting a flash of off white paper in the corner of his eye, a undisturbed newspaper dispenser in front of an convenience store, summoning one to him through the slotted opening, and checking for the right year, before heading back.

Touching down he went back in to the trunk to put down a sleepily grumbling Teddy who was rubbing his eyes with his small fist while grumbling. Placing the light purple cushioned sleeping mat next to his chair he gently lowered a sleeping Teddy in the middle and placing his blanket over him, POOR CUB, THE DISPLACEMENT MUST HAVE TUCKERED HIM OUT MORE THAN I EXPECTED, he mused. Taking out the shrunken paper from his pocket, he read through what must have been the last few months worth of reports about people coming back from the dead and eating people in a horror movie like fashion, all because of a mysterious virus, that caused it's victims to die from a high fever, that quickly spread across all nation's. Going into further detail of how getting bit by one of the dead was a death sentence, how the military had gunned down multiple civilians without any evidence of them being infected, and how there was a large military ran refugee camp in Atlanta, GA.

Scrunching up his brows at this influx of information, as be had not heard anything of the sort before, sure while the wizarding world was separated from the muggles and largely uninterested in their actions, any major or largely important news where still reported on as it had a chance of affecting the wizarding world to, and with the level of importance the paper was stating, it spread across all of the nations. And the paper had been printed a month before the date of his attack, a sinking feeling settled in his gut as nine of this made any sense, freezing as a violent shudder racked up his spine at the terrifying thought of world displacement came to mind. There had been a case study of it in the early 1700s when a wizard appeared out of no where, in the middle of a bustling ministry department with no sign of aperaition. After being apprehended by aurors he was questioned as to where he had come from and how he had broken through the wards, and during an extensive interrogation by unspeakables it was founded that he was from an alternate world from theirs, as his world had minor differences to it's world history, that were distinctly different from theirs. After which the wizard was placed in the ministry's mystery departments holding rooms as they tried to find a way to send him back, and with a few unsuccessful attempts he died a few years later do to old age as he was already fairly old when he had arrived. A few had tried to create different ways to travel to a different world now that they knew of their existents, all were unsuccessful unsurprisingly, untill now. A shiver made its way down his spine at this horrifying though of being stranded in a different world with no way back, and no way to test if he could even if he wanted to if it was true.

To try and reassure himself that it wasn't the case, he spread out his magic as far as he could, which was quite a few hundred miles as he was one of the most powerful wizards of his time, and came up with nothing. Absolutely nothing, holding any sort of magic pinged, not an artifact, ward, or even creature could be felt for hundreds of miles in each direction, except for the planet's own wild magic.

Calming himself down by slamming up his oculus shields with deep breaths, as he felt an oncoming panic attack trying to set in, he quickly summoned a copy of this worlds history book as he stepped out of his trunk, even if his gut was feeling him it was true he needed the confirmation, not particularly caring about the consequences at the moment, Catching it with honed seeker reflexes as it came whistling at high speeds like a bludger, heading towards him, he quickly stepped back inside to quickly skim through it. If he where standing he would have collapsed to his knees as he fell into shocked disbelief, as the proof of his displacement glared back at him from the harsh yellow and black inked pages of the book, slumping back into the cushioned chair as he stared with a blank gaze at the wall in from of him.

A few minutes later he was snapped out of his comatose state, blinking his now dry eyes, at the sound of Teddy's grumbling in his sleep, turning to his side facing him as he scrunched up his little face, completely unaware of his godfathers frozen state. Fixating his gaze on the still growing baby, the sole reason why he would still go on living in the apparent zombie apocalypse of another world, he steeled himself as a darkly protective parental instinct started roaring back to life in his frozen veins, stronger then ever now that there were multiple dangerous threats present outside the walls of his trunk, both alive and dead. Nothing mattered to him more then Teddy, and he would decimate anything that tried to harm his cub, as he was the only thing that made him want to keep living now. His panther's feeling of agreement swelling up from deep inside him, instincts merging with his own.

~

After a few days of staying within his trunk and playing with a now fully energetically recovered Teddy, he decided to get a move on as even though he wanted to, and could, stay with in the security of his trunk, he knew that sooner or later he would have to have social contact with others, as it was in his nature even if he was a recluse at his center, he still made small contact with people during the few times he went outside of his house, under a glamour of course. And while Teddy is his top most priority, he was still in the learning stage of how to talk, so he's not exactly a great conversationalist when he's not deciphering the baby babble.

So with this in mind, he strapped an excitedly squirming and babbling Teddy to his chest, placing a stinking charm on his favorite panther toy to his hand as he handed it to him, so that he wouldn't drop it during the flight, and took down the charms around the tree house.

Finally setting off, he headed towards the northern part of Georgia, as he had grabbed a map of the areas that had government refugee camps marked on it. As he had learned from the newspaper, he had landed near the southern part of Georgia in the Americas. On the other side of the pond from his original resistance in his world.

~

Along the way to Atlanta, he stopped at a few sports and equipment stores to scavenge for believable muggle supplies as most of the supplies in his choker were the magical variety with a few muggle things thrown in. So with his future company most likely to be muggles, he put on one of the larger forest green hiking bags after weaving feather light and expending charms into the threads, making the inside hold more then ten times it volume. He rolled up two of the black sleeping bags and placed them inside, as well as a camouflaged waterproof two person tent, a solar powered hot plate, which he would adjust to his magic later, ten cases of water purifying tablets from the store itself, a few cases of thirty two water bottles, flavor packets, he also grabbed a pair of light elbow protectors, putting them on and placing the rest in his new bag. Then he took out a dagger that he strapped to his belt, a short bow and a few arrows which he placed around his back next to his bag, along with a short sword that doubled as a boa staff when placed back in its steel holster. He also took out some of his non perishable and canned food from his choker, along with a bag of nappies, wipes, clothes, and a bib for Teddy that he placed into the bag, zipping it up tight, all the while keeping Teddy to his chest while outside of the trunk. Taking a short break behind the cashier counter to feed some crushed peas and milk to Teddy, while he scarfed down a roast beef sandwich with a few swigs of water. He then left the rest of the supplies in the shop for the next lucky survivor to stumble upon it.

Almost halfway to Atlanta he slowly stopped his firebolt midair, much to the excitement of Teddy as he bashed his all over him while turning his head to take everything in, smiling at him as he checked the map with a quick compass charm to find which way is North, he estimated he only had about 25 miles till he hit Atlanta. As he was wondering how far in the refugee camp was inside of the city, he heard the distinct sound of a struggle, with some vicious cursing thrown in, from where he sat in the air. Curious to see the first living person since he's arrived in this world, he placed a silencing bubble around Teddy so he wouldn't hear the fight as he played with his toy, he slowly crept his broom closer to the direction the commotion was coming from.

As he got close enough to peek out from under the tree tops he was hiding from view with, he observed as two dark haired men were fighting off a group of fifteen or so inferi with a gun, knife and in the shorter man's hand a crossbow, as they were slowly being backed up against a large rock where the inferi were ambushing them. Deciding to help them from a distance he crouched down on a nearby tree branch that offered enough coverage while not obstructing his movements, took out his short bow, aimed and downed six inferi in quick succession, as his arrows joined the bolts from the shorter man's crossbow.

With the dead threats taken care of the two men's attention shifted to the general treeline where his arrows had come from within the trees, the tallest stepping partially in front of the shorter man, as to protect and at the same time not obstructing the path of his crossbow, as he called out a, "Do either of you require any medical aid?" To them cautiously as he wasn't naive to the darker sides of the people.

Exchanging a silent conversation with their eyes both men nodded their heads negative, as they tried to pinpoint the area where the accented voice had called from. Relieved he quickly stashed his firebolt in its designated stud before, "Do you mind if I come a bit closer to you?" He asked them as their narrowed gaze fixed on the exact location where he was crouched on the branch.

After another silent eye conversation the tallest, and bulkiest, stepped up to answer with a cocky confidence in his voice, "Yeah, but if ya pull anything funny..." The unspoken threat was clear as his panther bristled, shaking off the effects of his panther's feelings, he grabbed onto the branch below him with a firm grip and, while being extremely conscious of Teddy, he swung down to land on the ground with a light wandless cushioning charm.

He made his way towards them through the small field of corpses, as he began to get near them he started taking in their features. They were obviously related now that he can get a good look of them, brothers probably, both with deep blue eyes, stocky builds, and sandy brown hair. The tallest physically looked older with a broader build then the younger with wide shoulders and chest, with a more defined, chiselled jawline, short shaved sandy brown hair, brows and stubble peppered with different shades of grey, with deep set cobalt blue eyes that watched him with a hardened look as he got closer. The younger had a similar build but with less bulk in the shoulders and chest, darker, and slightly longer hair, and a shade or two lighter blue eyes, compared to the elder that watched him just the same way as his brother. And only due to his years as a seeker and war instincts he noticed as both the brothers softening ever so slightly at the sight of a happily gnawing Teddy, who was chewing on his favorite toys ear as he watched them in wonder over his tiny shoulder as they got closer.

Stopping a few feet from them, "Are you sure your okay? I'm Harry Black by the way," he decided to introduce himself as, raising a happily squealing Teddy's fist in the air to wave, "and this handsome little guy is Teddy." He finished as Teddy started babbling at the sound of his name, looks of amusement going over the brothers faces in a flash, obviously charmed by the cute baby.

Smirking cockily the tallest answered, "Is he really named after a stuffed toy of yours or are you pulling on my leg, shortcakes," gesturing gently towards Teddy with an amused grin, eyes softening again as the little man reached for his fingers, pouting when he couldn't reach them, "I'm Merle, and this little shitstain next to me is ma baby brother, Daryl Dixon." Said brother giving the elder a dirty look, before leaning his back against the large rock behind them, keeping his crossbow at his side. Blinking at the strange accent coming from the elder, Merle, not really minding the vulgarity, as he had lived in a boys dorm room for seven years. Even his panther ,who was settling down from the earlier threat as he was pacified by their actions towards Teddy, and wasn't fazed by it.

"No, his real name is Edward. I call him Teddy as it was the nickname his father gave him before he died, and Edward is a mouthful for a baby of any age." He answered with a calm amusement as he started to relax, to the brothers clear surprise, apparently not used to people relaxing around them, which was a shame as his gut told him they were good people despite the rough and tough exterior they projected around themselves. Something even if his gut hadn't told him he would have picked up on by the way they acted around Teddy within the first few minutes of knowing them.

Deciding that he might as well stay with them, as his instincts were telling him to, he asked them, "Are you guys also making your way towards Atlanta?" With a friendly voice and sheepishly hopeful expression as he shifted his weight from one leg to the other.

Narrowing his eyes at this, Merle spat out, "What business is it of yours where we're headed." As he placed his hands on his sides in a confrontational style. Daryl also narrowing his eyes as he pushed off from his spot against the rock to stand next to Merle.

Smiling slightly he bluntly stated, as he could tell that like him, they didn't take to well to flowery words or hidden meanings, "Well I was wondering if you wouldn't mind if I stuck around with you two as you seem nice enough, and you're the first survivors I've come across so far, and let's face it little man here's not actually a great conversationalist." Smiling wider as brothers eyes widened at his blunt way of speaking. Their eyes taking his form in fully, pausing on a quietly playing Teddy and his visible weaponry as well, he had discarded his top robes before leaving as they would have only gotten in the way, which left him only in his battle gear, which he had made some changes to, charming his shirt so that it resembled an actual quarter sleeve hoody and his trouser into a pair of stretch pants that still had the, dragon scale design, and military grade black knee high boots with dark grey elbow guards, all for better mobility, protection and blending in.

Settling on his face, Merle gestured towards his bow, staff and dagger as he asked, "Do you actually know how to use those, cuz we ain't going to be carting around a pansyass layabout who can't pull there own weight around the camp." He sneered in disgust. Daryl nodding in silent agreement from beside him, not yet saying a word as obviously Merle was the leader and mouth of the two.

Smirking back in amusement, not at all insulted, he sassed back with, "Yes I can use them quite well, as you've just seen I'm quite the shot with my bow, and," he cheekily grinned, "as a doctor I can most certainly say I'm healthy enough to pull more than my own body weight." He snorted in amusement as the brothers choked slightly at the word 'doctor'.

Recovering, Merle laughed as he relaxed, his arms falling loosely beside him as he stood up straight, taking his hand into a shake as he slapped his shoulder lightly with the other, mindful of a curiously looking around Teddy, further adding credit to their character, "Welcome to the Dixon's then, shortcakes." He smirked at his glare, already getting the feeling that it was all he was going to get out of the taller man, as he stepped away from him. Daryl nodding his head at him as he started gathering his bolts from the heads of the inferi, handing him his arrows as a sign of good will, still not getting a word from the man.

"Come along then if your coming. We where tracking a deer before these uglies ambushed us," He waved as he and Daryl started walking off deeper into the woods.

"Just follow behind us as quite as you can." The softer gruff voice of Daryl greeted him finally, as he caught up to their larger strides. Teddy giving out a delighted laugh as he waved his arms around himself, rubbing his back to quieten him down as he nodded his head and fell back a step or so behind them. Following with childhood and later on war time silent footsteps, as he walked on the balls of his feet and avoiding large piles of leaves and fallen branches. Remaining quietly following them as the brothers followed the trail the deer had left behind expertly.

Not to long after, they returned to the Dixon's campsite with a small doe being carried across Merle's back. Setting down his bag next to the campfire and switching Teddy's strap to his back, he helped Daryl roll out a plastic sheet to lay the doe on. Waving him off, watching as he sat a small foldable chair he pulled out from his bag, as they bound the back legs together and hung it up on a high off the ground tree branch. So they could bleed it with small incisions down the legs and neck, an empty green mortar bucket underneath it to catch the draining blood, they could empty it later on with the uneatable guts, far away from the camp so natural predators, like his panther who was almost salivating, and geeks, as the brothers called them, wouldn't follow the scent into the camp.

Afterwards the brothers helped him with putting up his tent, leaving his bag in his tent he moved his chair next to the small campfire, taking out some of his blunted arrows and began sharpening the tips, offering to do the same with some of Daryl's bolts and giving him some of his smaller arrows, who took them with a grudgingly grateful look in his eye.

That night as he laid down in his sleeping bag with a tiredly drooling Teddy, stomach full on venison and veggie soup that he had helped cook, adding in a bag of his white jasmine rice, falling into a light sleep as Daryl took up first watch for the night.

~

After being with the Dixon's for a few days, he started picking up on more of their characteristics, most of them he liked, expect for their habit of smoking whenever they had the chance to do so.

Merle, he noticed, has a very straightforward personality as he doesn't like to mince his words just to make you feel better, but this doesn't mean he doesn't care, he's just very subtle in his way of showing his care. For example, once in a while out scavenging in a small town he brought back a set of arrows and bolts, one for Daryl's crossbow and the other for his bow, a carton of cigarettes that he divided between himself and his brother, and a soft brown wolf plush for Teddy, smirking softly as he immediately started playing with it.

Daryl, while he was on the quieter side, was much the same as his brother, only being less crass about it, most times. He to would bring back small thing for their small group, such as motor magazines for Merle, a book on hunting and tracking for him, and a small deer plush for Teddy.

ALL WE NEED NOW IS A DOG PLUSH AND HIS SET WOULD BE COMPLETE, he snorted in amusement. Another, more endearing, characteristic about the brothers is that they were protective of each other, Merle more so than Daryl, and they were very slowly coming to accept him and Teddy into that tight circle of protection.

With this in mind, while his instincts still made him keep Teddy next to him at all times, he was slowly allowing him out of the baby strap, and onto the baby mat next to him, with his collection of plushies surroundings him. His actions seems to startle the brothers, as they to had noticed, that he is obviously very protective of Teddy, and made them regard him in a new light.

Slowly at first, they started offering to teach him how to hunt and track, starting out with allowing him to accompany them whenever one of them went out hunting, to pointing out things to him and explaining as best they could, what to do. After they've deemed him suitable, a few days later of their discrete teachings, they even allowed him to take the lead for a bit. Later on moving to cleaning and skinning their catches, pointing out ways to see if the meat would be good or spoiled by checking the liver of the animal, how to pull the entire skin off with a few cuts to the wrist, ankles and neck of the animal, and to first drench the fur as to not get any on the meat and to make it easier to come off.

During one of these hunting trips they stumbled across a deserted hunting quarry, that they quickly decided to move their camp to with the help of Daryl's truck. Quickly setting up warning systems around the camp, trip wires attached to a series of cans hanging u in the trees surrounding the perimeter of the camp a few kilometers out, that would alert them by the loud clanking sounds it will make if something was near their camp and stepped on it. His own warning system being minor unnoticeable protective wards, that he set up while excusing himself to use the loo, that would alert him of anything coming near them and how many.

A week into staying at the quarry, and growing even closer to the Dixon brothers, he decided one night, to let them hold Teddy. Standing, he took a happily babbling Teddy out of his chest strap, and very carefully placing him in Merle's lap, shakily moving his hands away as Merle's moved to support Teddy by holding his sides. He and Daryl both, were stunned still by the level of trust he was showing them by allowing them to hold Teddy. Jerkily moving away to place his chair near them as he watched Merle snap out of his shock by Teddy jumping up and down in his lap, uncomfortably glancing at him and a his still shocked brother for help with a small frown. Hesitantly placing his forearm around Teddy's torso to support him as he slowly helped him jump a bit higher, to the very vocal joy of Teddy. Slowly gaining confidence that he wouldn't accidentally hurt the small baby, and with a nod from Harry, he began to periodically bounce Teddy above his head for a split second, as he continued to play trampoline with him. Daryl watching on in amusement quirk to his brow, still a bit stunned by his gruff and rough older brother playing with a baby in his lap. A few minutes later, after listening to Teddy as he squeaked in joy as he bounced in Merle's lap, he was carefully passed over to a visibly nervous Daryl, as he to played awkwardly at first with Teddy bouncing in his lap, Merle snickering as he did. A short amount of time later a tuckered out Teddy was passed back to him with Daryl smiling softly as he did so. Nodding their heads at him in silent acknowledgment of his trust in them.

Smirking at them as he held a conked out Teddy to his chest, as he jokingly asked them, "So does this mean I can get you to change his nappies from now on?" Bursting out in laughter at the mixture of disgust and scandalized looks on their faces, followed by loud 'hell no's' from both the brothers. Tears of mirth running down his grinning face as he placed Teddy back into his padded strap, leaning back into his chair, enjoying the crass comedy of Merle as he basked in the warmth of the fire and company that he trusted.

Afterwards, it seemed this major show of trust from Harry, had completely folded Harry and Teddy within their close knit, protective circle with Teddy at the center as the youngest and most vulnerable. Becoming a sort of ragtag family, that would protect each other at all cost.

~

A day and a half later, in the middle of tracking a good sized deer, they were all startled by the sounds of bombs going off in direction of Atlanta, where they've decided not to go to after all. Choosing to instead to survive together outside of Atlanta, as all three of their guts where telling them to stay put, and without any real reason not to trust their gut instincts, had stayed in the quarry until they could find a safer, more secured place.

Moving to higher ground on a high up cliff side to get a better view on what was going on, they where all horrified to see military commissioned choppers dropping live bombs onto the city of Atlanta and the refugee camp that was said to be ran by the military itself. With this horrifying sight, they lost what little speck of hope they had, that this would somehow end, and still have a form of justice system still standing, died for good. With the images etched into their minds as they made their way back to camp, they'll put off hunting the deer for today, to take in the powerful feeling of shattered hope, the world they knew before the virus seemed to dissipate into the past, leaving them in this world where they'll look out for each other as they have been. Sharing looks with each other they made a silent pact, that no one was left behind, no matter what happened, they would protect each other first and foremost, with a sleeping Teddy in their center.

~

Jumping up to their feet, they got into different defensive positions, as they heard the sounds of multiple engines coming down the path to the quarry. Merle taking the lead position with a gun and knife posed for either offense or defense, Daryl close behind him as he held his crossbow at the ready, Harry, with Teddy on his chest, ran to the tree line near the path, climbing up to a branch out of sight, crouching down and taking out his bow, notching an arrow, waiting to provide hidden backup from the tree line, while covering Teddy from harm. His panther ready to spring forth in a partial shift, at any given moment. Watching as a blue and tan police cruiser pulled to a stop within the quarry, followed by four more different cars and two RVs.

Narrowing his eyes as they wards alerted him of the 23 people within the vehicles, bracing himself as a tall, tanned man sporting a mini black afro and a deputy uniform stepped out of the first cop car. Keeping his eye on him as he cockily stepped from the vehicle with his hands raised in the air, already deciding the he really didn't like this man as both his instincts and panther both raised the hair on his neck at the feel of him. Sensing that the largest threat would be the deputy out of the twenty or so people still in the vehicles, he kept his arrow trained on his head as he watched for any sign of movement from the vehicles.

Staying quiet as the man called out to, what he though was, the only two people in the quarry, "Whoa there partners, we don't mean you any harm. We were at the road block, heading up towards the refugee camps, luckily we didn't make it there before we saw them drop the bombs," he paused for a second narrowing his eyes in annoyance when they didn't lower their weapons at all, "We would appreciate it if we could camp together here in the quarry." HE DOESN'T REALLY SOUND LIKE HE'S ASKING, AND MORE LIKE STATING WHAT THEIR GOING TO DO, all three thought at the same time, bristling at the audacity of these people just coming into their camp and just telling them what they were going to do, only thing that stopped them from shooting right then, being that they had no idea what kind of weapons they had.

Grudgingly starting to point their weapons at the ground, except Harry as he still had his bow trained on the deputy, Shane Walsh as he had introduced himself, when a small mop of brown hair popped out the window of the cruiser curiously before a brunette women, probably his mother, pulled him back in.

The brothers shared a look before quickly glancing towards where he was crouched when Shane looked behind him at the small boy in his car. Pursing his lip in irritation he lowered his bow as Merle stepped forward, "Alright, we'll let'cha stay but only because you got a youngin with ya," Merle allowed with a dissatisfied scowl. Turning his head to the trees he called out, much to the shock of the group coming out from inside their vehicles and suspension of Shane, "it's alright shortcakes, you can come out of the tree now, you blasted monkey." He teased. Snorting amusment at the wise crack he swung down from the branch and landed lightly on his feet. Smirking at the sight of the other groups expressions, as the a young looking teen, to his annoyance as he was already 20, with a baby strapped to their chest and a bow on their back came down from the trees beside them.

Coming up to the brothers, standing beside Daryl, a bit behind Merle, sporting an amused smirk, he waved with a badly accented, "Howdy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~
> 
> AU: Fun fact, I actually am from Georgia, and yes we call our kids youngins. :) also sorry about any inconsistencies like my changing of diaper to nappy, and I finally made a chart for the organization of Harry's choker studs. Here it is.
> 
> 1: has all weapons from the merged Potter and Black vaults. Swords, daggers, bows, scythes, etc.
> 
> 2: has all the Gallons, Sickles, and Knuts of the Black and Potter's. Which totaled £65.2 billion.
> 
> 3: has all books and documents of the Black and Potter, as well as the ones he bought himself.
> 
> 4: has bothered his regular trunk and his housing trunk, as well as some other things such as a full professional kitchen and camping sets.
> 
> 5: has his child supplies for all ages, for Teddy.
> 
> 6: is full of stasis food plates along with cooking ingredients and spices.
> 
> 7: has all of his healing equipment such as a med bed, bandages, stitches, pastes, and potions.
> 
> 8: has a never ending supply of potions ingredients.
> 
> 9 & 10: empty
> 
> ~
> 
> So quick question what do y'all think about Harry helping Shane out when rick shows up? Or helping/adopting Carl and/or other child mc/oc?


	3. Life on the Quarry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AU: Thank all of you so much for the support, a special shout out to Elvwin and Kaimee of Ao3 and a guest, Spencer366, and Hpwdfic fan of Fanfiction.Net for so much great feedback and ideas! PS, What should I name Harry's panther, personally I was thinking along the lines of Ebony. As a treat to y'all, the next 2500 or so words of this chapter will be from Merle's POV from the start of the walkers in Georgia to when the Canon group appears, and the next chapter will start with Daryl's POV.

Merle's POV

The loud 'SLAM' of a door slamming close echoed across the front lawn of a rundown trailer park, as a familiar 5 foot 7, usually vulgar man rushed inside the trailer he and his brother were staying in. Shouting for his brother, "DARYL! Getcher ass over here, now!" His usually already loud voice rocketed through the small trailer house. Grabbing their large hunting bags, they used for long stays in the woods and cramming needed essentials into, putting as much as he could into them, before zipping it up and started filing up another.

"What is it now." Asked a slightly shorter man with an annoyed tone in his usually quiet gruff voice, as he walked into the room his brother was in. Frantically stuffing things like whole cases of bullets, knives, skinning and filleting blades, fire starters, lighters, cigarettes, and water bottles into any kind of bag they owned, even taking out the heavy duty trash bags.

Throwing a few bags at him, he ordered him to gather everything essential, non perishable food, hunting equipment, weapons, etc. "Hurry yer lily white ass up, I want to be out of here and on the road as soon as we can." Going back to packing.

Shrugging the younger man did as his brother asked. Jumping slightly when loud banging and moaning came from the front door, eyes widening in surprise seeing as hands left bloody hand smudges on the window next to the door. Coming out from the other room, Merle cursed vividly when a male face poked into view, with a large chunk of his cheek torn out, exposing snapping jaws to the elements as it's yellow glazed eyes focused on them, others quickly following their companion at the window. Gathering as many of his filled bags over his shoulder as be could, telling Daryl to grab the rest as he opened the door to their built on garage in the back, placing the bags in the trunk bed of Daryl's truck, Merle's bike and their tents already in the back. Daryl copying him, quickly rushing to his brothers room to help him back faster as time was at the essence. Once done they rushed back to Daryl's truck, depositing the bags in the back, quickly strapping them down. Daryl starting his truck as he quickly opened the garage door, sliding into the passenger seat of his brothers reasonably clean truck as he pulled out and headed down the dirt roads of their trailer park, before whatever was at their door could reach them

Turning to his older brother, Daryl asked, "What the hell was that!" With a slightly freaked expression, as he only saw shit like that in movies.

Huffing a breath, as he leaned back into his seat, "That, baby brother, is exactly what those news people said it was." He answered tiredly, as his slight shock at seeing one of those freaks tearing into a buddy of his at the bar, as it came out of nowhere before taking a chunk out of his buddies shoulder, dragging him down to the floor screaming as more joined the first, as he used his friends screams as a distraction before running away to get his brother and get outta there.

Eyes widening as he kept his gaze on the road in front of him, "I thought that was just fake news they were trying to scare people with for an early Halloween scare or something." He said in a slight daze as he noticed they were passing two bodies on the side of the road with their torsos ripped open, slowly reanimating as they twitched while clearly dead.

Tiredly closing his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose, while saying "Me to, little bro, me to."

~

Two months later, on their way to a refugee camp in Atlanta, they were ambushed by a horde of these things while out tracking a small doe for dinner. Shooting them in the head from a distance with his gun before they got to close, Daryl beside him doing the same with his trusty crossbow. Cursing as they got closer, motioning for Daryl to get behind him a bit to provide support, stepping forward to stab one through the temple as it got close while shooting another coming at his side, hearing the 'Twang' of his brothers crossbow bolts going over his shoulder and into the eye of another.

Narrowing his eyes as he noticed a different set of arrows join his brothers from in front of them, hitting the stragglers in the back of their head. Keeping his eyes on the line of trees he though they were coming from, as he finished the last walker with a quick stab of his blade.

Turning his full attention to the trees now that they were done with the bigger threat of the walking dead. Stepping further in front of his brother when an English accented voice called out asking if they had any injuries. Sharing a quick look with his brother, before scanning the other down for any visible injuries, they both nodding their heads in a negative fashion. Watching in interest as a short light skinned man with a cute baby strapped to his chest dropped down from the trees when he motioned his acceptance of the Brits approach. He was around 5 foot 6 and leaned more towards the androgynous side, with a slender neck sporting a black choker supporting a small squarish diamond face that framed eyes the color of green he ain't ever seen on a human, with small pouty pink lips that were quirked into a smile/smirk hybrid, all covered by a short pitch black mop of hair that looked like it hasn't had a good brushing in its entire life. Dressed in a form fitting, slightly long hoody that complimented his eyes as they were a shade or so lighter, black scale patterned stretch pants, that he would usually call out on but oddly fit the strangers image, paired with knee high black strapped heavy duty boots. Nodding his head slightly in approval, at the variety of weapons he was carrying, his attention then shifted to the baby. Eyes softening slightly as his were meet with curious baby blue green eyes that was gnawing on a stuffed panther toys ear.

The cultured voiced asked, "Are you sure your okay? I'm Harry Black by the way," as the younger man stopped a bit before them, confirming it was him in the trees, lightly waving the little man's arm as he said, " and this little guy is Teddy."

Snorting in amusement at the ridiculous baby name he asked, "Is he really named after a stuffed toy of yours or are you pulling on my leg, Shortcakes," gesturing gently towards the baby, apparently named Teddy, as he didn't want to startle him, with an amused grin. Eyes softening once again as the little man reached out for his fingers, pouting at him when he couldn't reach them, "I'm Merle, and this little shitstain next to me is ma baby brother, Daryl Dixon." He gestured beside him, Daryl giving him a dry look as he leaned his back against the large rock behind them, keeping his crossbow, that he had given him for his first successful hunting trip when he was 7, at his side as always.

Giving him an amused look, the hot looking stranger answered with a, "No, his real name is Edward. I call him Teddy as it was the nickname his father gave him before he died, and Edward is a mouthful for a baby of any age." Relaxing as he said this, much to the brothers surprise. As people were either to wary or suspicious of them, categorizing them as to much of a stereotypical violent redneck to relax in their presence, especially if they only knew them for a few minutes like this guy did.

Seeming to have decided on something in his head, the Shortcakes asked them, "Are you guys also making your way towards Atlanta?" With a friendly voice and sheepishly hopeful expression on his face, as he shifted his weight in a nervous expression.

Narrowing his eyes at this, suspicious of his intentions, Merle spat out, "What business is it of yours where we're headed." Tensing in a way that he could easily move if need be, Daryl also narrowing his eyes as he pushed off from his spot against the rock, to stand next to him, ready to have his back as they always have.

Smiling slightly at them as he bluntly said, "Well I was wondering if you wouldn't mind if I stuck around with you two as you seem nice enough, and you're the first survivors I've come across so far, and let's face it little man here's not actually a great conversationalist." Smiling even wider as the brothers eyes widened in surprise, as usually people choose to beat around the bush, before they snapped at them to get to the point. Further cementing some people's views on them as being stereotypical, no good rednecks.

Quickly taking his form in again, getting a better look at the weapons he was carrying. Which looked to be a good quality, sturdy short bow, a quiver of arrows sticking out of one flap of his large hiking bag, quietly wondering to himself how much strength his lean form was hiding as it would be difficult for a normal person to be carrying around a fully packed, large bag as easily as shortcakes did, a bo staff that looked to conceal a blade of sorts, and a not quite small dagger pocking out from behind him attached to the belt on his waist.

Settling on a decision, as he couldn't with a good conscience let a baby out into this world to be harmed if he could help it, but he did have some conditions he wouldn't bend on, Merle gestured towards his bow, staff and dagger as he asked, "Do you know how to use those, cuz we ain't going to be carting around a pansyass layabout who can't pull there own weight around the camp." He sneered in disgust at the thought, Daryl nodding in silent agreement from besides him letting him take the lead, silent as always around anyone, besides him, because of their shitty upbringing.

Shortcakes smirked at him, sassing back with a quick, "Yes I can use them quite well, as you've just seen I'm quite the shot with my bow, and," cheekily grinning as he said, "as a doctor I can most certainly say I'm healthy enough to pull more than my own body weight." He startled slightly, what kind of luck did they have by coming upon a frigin doctor, a hot one at that, in the middle of all this shit.

Recovering from his shock, Merle laughed as he relaxed from his tensed position, his arms falling to hang loosely by his side as he stood up straight, shaking one of Shortcakes smaller, callused hands as he slapped his shoulder lightly with the other, mindful of a curiously looking around Lil'Man, before saying, "Welcome to the Dixon's then, Shortcakes." Smirking at the kitten glare he received for the nickname. Daryl nodded his head as he started gathering his bolts from the heads of the dead, handing shortcakes his arrows as he did so.

"Come along then if your coming. We where tracking a deer before these uglies ambushed us," He waved at him, as he and Daryl started walking off deeper into the woods, quickly finding and following the tracks they were on before being ambushed.

"Just follow behind us as quite as you can." He heard his brother say, before he focused on following the trail.

~

It's been a few days since Shortcake and Lil'Man had joined them. When they had gotten back from hunting down the doe, they had helped set up his tent, using it and many other opportunities to further check out the hot doctor. Once thing was pretty obvious about him, that you had to be stupid not to realize, was that he was very protective of his baby, practically tearing a walkers arm off its body, when it tried to swipe at the sleeping Lil'Man, before killing it with a viciously satisfied gleam in his eye while out on a scavenging trip.

Another thing that he noticed about him, besides his hot body, was that he had some crazy strong instincts, obviously having experience in some type of survival struggle before, with acute hearing, smell, and sight paired with lightning fast reflexes compacted into a deadly little package, which made him even more desirable to Merle.

Daryl has been sending him amused looks ever since they had picked up the doc, as he was the sole person in the world that knew he, Merle Dixon, batted for both teams. As he had to keep it hidden to survive their bastard of a Pa while growing up, later becoming a habit to keep it to himself as a way to defend himself from others. Not that it stopped him from bringing the occasional male to a hotel room of course.

Going back to their resident doctor, his baby was also a thing to ponder about, the little guy knew when to stay silent as a ghost when his Papa was up around moving, and when he felt it safe would begin to babble about anything that caught his attention, to those who would listen, which would be everyone in their camp, and his stuffed panther and wolf, that he had gifted him after a solo scavenge run, as they had all fallen for the cute baby.

Not really noticing that they were slowly integrating them into his and Daryl's small protective bubble, until he noticed as a usually ultra protective Shortcakes, place Lil'Man onto a play mat next to him when they were all sitting around the fire.

Since then, ever so slightly, he and Daryl both subtly began offering to teach him how to hunt and track game, later how to safely gut and skin them, even allowing him to take the lead on some of the hunts when they didn't need much.

Then stumbling across an abandoned quarry.

~

A week into staying at the quarry, after setting up a warning systems, Merle had a major shock, when a straining Shortcakes placed a happily babbling Lil'Man in his lap, visibly fighting with himself as he took his hands away, Merle's own moving automatically to support the baby by holding onto his sides, obviously not used to holding something as fragile as a baby. He and Daryl both, were stunned still, by the level of trust that Shortcakes was showing them by allowing them to hold his baby.

Jerkily moving away to place his chair near them as he watched Merle like a hawk, snapping out of his shock by Lil'Man starting to bounce in place on his lap, uncomfortably glancing between Shortcakes and a dazed Daryl for help on what to do.

Hesitantly placing his forearm around Lil'Man's torso to support him, as he very slowly helped him bounce a bit higher, to the very vocal joy of Lil'Man. Slowly gaining in confidence, that he wouldn't accidentally hurt the small baby, and with a nod from Shortcakes, began to bounce Lil'Man bit by bit until he was above his head, holding for a split second, before bringing him back down to start over.

Daryl watching as he sat next to him, with a slowly growing amused gleam in his eye, still a bit stunned by his gruff and rough older brother playing with a baby in his lap. A few minutes later, he carefully passed him over to a visibly nervous Daryl, watching him as he to started playing with the little munchkin, awkwardly at first as the small baby started bouncing in his lap, wanting to play again. Merle started snickering in revenge next to him, as he did so.

A short amount of time later a tuckered out baby was passed back to his Papa, with Daryl sporting a small smile as he handed over the tired baby. Nodding both of their heads at him in silent acknowledgment of his significant trust in them. Still a small bit shocked when they realized how much he actually had for them, enough to let them hold his baby, when otherwise he would tear apart anything that even tried to take the Lil'Man out of his hold.

Smirking at them as he held a conked out Lil'Man to his chest, jokingly asking them, "So does this mean I can get you to change his nappies from now on?" Bursting out laughing as they both shouted out loud 'hell no's. A few tears of mirth running down his face, grinning as he placed his baby back into the padded strap on his chest. Merle shaking his head, curling his lip in disgust at the idea of changing a dirty diaper.

From then on, through this major show of trust from Shortcakes, had completely folded them within their close knit, protective bubble, with Lil'Man in the center as the youngest and most vulnerable of their makes shift family. _And I'll do my damnedest to make sure that he survives this, we all will_ he thought as he glanced at his little makeshift family.

~

A day and a half later, they were all startled by the loud sounds of bombs going off in the direction of Atlanta.

Quickly moving to the higher ground of a cliff side, to get a better idea on what was happening, they where all horrified to see military commissioned choppers dropping live bombs onto the city of Atlanta and the area they thought the refugee camp that was said to be ran by the military itself.

Seeing this made them lose whatever little speck of hope they had, as they made their way back to camp in a daze. Sharing looks with each other, making a silent pact with each other, that they wouldn't leave each other behind, that no matter what happened, they would protect each other first and foremost, with a napping Lil'Man at their center.

Jumping to their feet as newcomers made their way into their camp a few hours later. Merle taking the lead position at the front, ready to take out as many of them as possible if need be, as Daryl backed him a few steps behind, while Shortcakes quickly moved to the trees on the other side, to offer support from the other side of the intruders while protecting a silent Lil'Man if needed, who was as always strapped to his chest.

Reading himself as he raised his gun to level with a deputy who stepped out from his cruiser, hands raised in a cocky, overconfident manner.

End of Merle's POV

~

Start of Chapter 2: Life on the Quarry

The entire group jumped slightly, whipping around as a young looking teenager dropped down from a tree behind them at the man's call, eyes widening when they spotted a baby strapped to, what they think, the young girl's chest. Watching in stunned silence as she made her way around them and behind the man in front of them, standing next to the slightly younger looking man's side as she finally turned to face them with a cheeky sounding "Howdy." As she waved her small pale hand at them in greetings.

Harry snickered to himself, covering his mouth with his hand at the stunned look on the faces of the new groups adult members. Watching as they slowly, one by one, got over his shocking appearance, to make introductions as the rest of them stepped from their vehicles.

The officer, Shane Walsh, as he introduced himself as, stepped forward with a woman, who had a vague resemblance to his dear Aunt Petunia with the pinched look on her face, holding a young boy, with brown hair and blue eyes looking around everywhere, to her front.

Starting to introduce his group by gesturing to them one by one. Starting with the women and boy behind him introducing them as, "This is Lori Grimes, and her boy, Carl Grimes," he said finishing the name 'Grimes' with a slightly remorseful look.

Then indicating a nervous looking Asian male as "Glynn Rhee, our resident supply runner," said runner nodding his head in greeting.

"Our two sisters, Andrea and Amy," two blond haired girls nodded at their names being called, the first looking older then the second.

"Dale, the oldest and owner of the smaller RV," the elder man wearing Hawaiian themed clothing and sandles, waved with a calm smile.

"Ed and Carol Peletier, and their daughter Sophia Peletier," Ed reminded him a bit to much of his beloved uncle, both in appearance and manner. Carol acted like a scared mouse as it was obvious her husband was abusing her and their daughter, who was hiding behind her mothers legs, feeling a sharp pang in his chest at the sight of a scared child who shyly waved at them before scurrying back behind her mother as Ed shot her a look. Glaring at the man's head as the deputy continued on, deciding to rid himself and free the two other abuse victims of this waste of space.

"..., Jim, Jacqui, T-Dog, and the Morales," Shane finished.

He could already tell this group wasn't going to take Merle's way of teasing very well, which meant they hadn't really experienced the struggle of the world before it literally went to shit, it also told him that a few of them won't make it past a year if they don't shape up,

Rubbing at his chest in confusion, as a cold feeling slowly grew and ended at the names 'Amy, ..., Jim, Jacqui,...' And wondered why, taking a not to cast another diagnostic on himself later out of view of the camp. He felt kind of frustrated, as before the the newcomers had come along, he had planned to tell the Dixon brothers about his and Teddy's magic. _Now that plans been shot to hell_ he pouted as he now had to come up with another way of informing his new family members of magic.

Shooting an inquiring look at Merle, and getting a nod from their unspoken agreed upon group leader, he stepped forward to introduce his new found family with pride, "Hi, everyone my name is Harry Potter-Black, or as Merle likes to call me Shortcakes," shooting an amused glare at an unapologetic Merle, now used to the nickname he was given, "the big lug next to me is our leader, Merle," pointing with his thumb at the now smirking Merle, " and his younger brother Daryl Dixon." Motioning towards a silent Daryl, who nodded his head slightly. Raising both of Teddy's arms in the air, waving them in a little jig, "And this cute little guy is Edward Lupin, or just Teddy, as I call him." He finished off with a smile he reserved mainly for his little one, most of the group smiling at the cute baby while others, Lori, Shane and Ed, shot dirty looks at him. His smile tightening at this, baring his sharpened teeth a bit more, with a little help of his panther, as he pointed his next words at them, "Please be careful when your around him, even if you unintentionally harmed him, we let just say I'm very protective of _MY_ little one." Smiling sweetly as several of the other groups members felt shivers of fear going down their spines, making mental notes not to get on the androgynous girl's bad side as she stepped back behind her group leader.

Snorting as he piped up with, "You better listen to Shortcakes here kiddies, I saw him tear off an uglies arm and use it to kill the damn thing, when it tried to swipe at the Lil'Man, not that we wouldn't do the same thing." He grinned as they shot fearful glances at his makeshift family, all of them ignoring his use of the pronoun 'him' as they focused more on the brutality of what he was saying instead.

Glancing between their other group members as they followed Shane and Lori to the other side of the camp, away from the Dixon's, some individuals glanced back at the beautiful girl with heavy eyes, disregarding what he'd said as nonsense, after all how could such a small beautiful girl be capable of such violence.

Humming to himself as he returned, with Daryl, back to their camp, a split second later, shooting into his tent to grab a clean nappy as Teddy needed a change right then, before he killed his, now enhanced, nose. Eyes watering at the smell, turning around to face Teddy while trying to hold his breath, after he quickly lade out a dry nappy, wipes, and baby powder he set to work on the absolutely gruelling task of changing Teddy's stinky nappy, as the little worm seemed to think it's a game. He would try to wiggle away from his Muma before he could change his soiled nappy. Sighting as he released his breath when he came out of the tent ten minutes later, and flicking the rolled up soiled nappy at the snickering brothers, getting an indignant look from Daryl, and a belly laugh from Merle when it hit Daryl's leg. Scooting his chair in a bit closer as he sent a look between them. They had a silent conversation between them about leaving and letting the new group have the quarry as they were already planning on leaving it soon to start scouting for a safer, more secured place to survive and live while raising Teddy, at least until he has older.

Sending startled glances over at the other camp, not used to loud noises anymore as it would attract walkers, when they heard the woman, Lori, screeching at someone about something, buzzing around the others of her group trying, and failing, to direct them all the while shooting narrow eyed glances at their camp for some reason. "Well ain't she a Queen Bee." Merle commented as they watched as she made a nuisance of herself. Cementing the thought in their mind, this group hasn't really experienced struggle yet.

~

A few day later, as Harry sat outside his tent playing peek-a-boo with Teddy, who would make small noises when he covered his face behind his hands and clap his hands happily when he said "Peek-a-boo."

Keeping an eye on their camp and on the actions of the other group while Merle prodded at their edges. Scouting out what made them tick and what got a reaction out of them, using his crass language and mostly offensive nicknames to his advantage in this area.

Daryl having left a little bit earlier to continue tracking the deer tracks they found earlier, usually they would have went together, as it was safer these days to travel in groups rather then going on solo. But that was before they had a group of unknown strangers so close to their camp, and while they trusted the others of their small family to take care of themselves, Daryl left hunting by himself while leaving Harry behind to make sure they didn't mess with their supplies, and Merle for extra protection to their weakest family member, Teddy, along with the hellcat that was Harry when he felt of being threatened.

Merle coming back to their shared camp as the sun fell behind the tree line, as Daryl would likely take another day at most, and sharing the information he'd gathered with Harry, as you could gain a lot about a person when their riled up, if your observant enough.

Shane, the other groups leader, gave all three of them the feeling of someone who couldn't stand not being in control, which made them want to get as far away as possible before he snaps, as there was no way in hell they were going to follow under the leadership of someone who would stab you in the back if you disobeyed him. He was also a very bad leader all things considered, as the only thing he seemed to be doing was lazing around in his lounge chair by the campfire, with the excuse of looking out for danger, with the only weapon the group seemed to have, a loudass shotgun, or running off into the woods with Lori, to do who knows what, carrying along with him the groups only line of defense as the others seemed to not even know how to throw a solid punch to save their life.

Which brought him to the seemingly banshee of the group, Lori Grimes. Who only seemed to yell out orders at the other members of her group as if she was the one to lead it, particularly the girls of the group, seemingly forgetting, somehow, that they were in the middle of an apocalypse in the twentieth century, as she tried to make every one of the girls into housewives by only doing the laundry, cooking the food, and cleaning after the men of the ground that, besides maybe Glynn and T-Dog, seemed to not know what to do with themselves. When she wasn't trying to turn everyone I to modern day housewives, which would only get them killed in the long run, she was running off with Shane, leaving behind and neglecting her kid, who was looking lonelier by the day as he was basically abandoned by his mother as she chased after her new boytoy. Making a face at the fact Merle told him the whole group thought he was a girl, he wondered what was wrong with these people's eyes, sure he knew that he had a slightly androgynous face and his choker hid his Adams Apple but there were key features about him that still pointed to him being a boy. Shaking his head as his mild annoyance made way for amusement as they were the first to outright think he was a girl, telling Merle that maybe he'd mess with them a bit and see if any would realize he was a boy. Snickering to each other at the possible looks that would be on their faces when they realized, as Merle carried on.

Said kid, Carl, was a nice little ten year old, who tried to keep himself active around the group to distract himself from his absent mother. And he also tried to distract Sophia as well, by playing with each other or the other kids in the group as they both tried to ignore their prospective parental problems. But playing can only go on for so long as Sophia and the other kids would eventually be called back by their parents. Feeling a slight pang of sympathy for the little boy, he started planning on bringing him into his group if his mother doesn't shape up soon, as he listened to Merle as he went down the list of group members and the information he had gathered on them.

Glynn, or Chinaman, as Merle likes to call him, was nice enough, always asking around if anyone needed anything, before leaving on an unneeded supply run ordered by an insecure Shane, who wanted to boss someone around, which told them that he was a bit of a pushover.

Andrea, who was a lawyer before all of this as she liked to brag about, reminded him of a certain know it all curly haired brunette, always seeming to think everyone else was either always wrong or stupid, except for her and her idol, which appeared to be Shane for some reason, she supposedly thinks he was the greatest leader ever. Even going so far as to snapping off at those who even tried to think for themselves as opposed to just following along with whatever Shane and Lori wanted, much to Shane's inflated ego. Although it seems such regard she did not have for Lori, as she seems to realize what she's doing to the girls and is completely against it.

Amy, while the sole exception to her sister's attitude problems, sometimes, was the polar opposite of her sister quiet, sweet and ready to actually help those of her group.

T-dog, or Negro by Merle, was the nice older brother figure of the group, and the most active around the camp as while Glynn did the supply runs he did the heavy lifting and wood gathering, he and Glynn both seemed to be the main pushovers of the group as they were both to nice for their own good, and as Merle added in they were easy to tease.

Dale, as the oldest person in the group was mainly left alone by the two so called leaders as he had offered, stupidly, his RVs door to always be open, and was treated as the advisor of the group because of his age, which didn't sit right with Harry as it reminded him of a certain meddling old goat, along with the proven fact that age doesn't always mean they were wise or knowledgeable.

Ed, reminded him heavily of his uncle, both in his whale like appearance and his habit of abuse, him and Merle both agreed that they needed to dispatch the disgusting man with an chance they got, his eyes gleaming at the prospect of riding the world of another wife beater and child abuser.

Carol, Ed's wife and Sophia's mother, brought up mixed feelings of sympathy and disgust, sympathy as he had been in a similar position before with his uncle and knew the effects of abuse, the disgust coming from her being an mother with a young daughter that she clearly adored while trying to shield from her husband all the while staying with the abusive lout. The thing was, while he knew the feeling of helplessness he also knew the strong protective instincts of a parent, and he knew that down below the layer of a meek abuse victim there was a fighter, to have lasted this long in a abusive relationship. Quietly noting to get Carol alone sooner more then later to talk to her.

Sophia, reminded him a little bit of himself when he was younger, kinda, he's glad that at least he only had his uncle and aunt that abused him with the later satisfaction in knowing that both his parents had loved him, had loved him enough to die for him as he would to his Teddy. Quickly noting down to help her if Carol doesn't listen to what he has to say. And to cast as a mirroring hex on Ed the next day, who knows maybe he'd grow a conscience if he felt everything he does to his wife and child, snorting at the thought.

Jim and Jacqui he got a strange cold feeling that spread through him when he thought of them, both seemingly to have lost all hope in living, which raised red flags in his head, as he had seen these kinds before in the war, both could be a possible danger to themselves and others, Merle also noticed as they swore to keep an eye out in case they tried anything fishy.

The others of the group Merle hadn't got very much out about them as they mostly faded to the outer workings of the group itself.

Nodding his head at Merle in thanks for the information, before taking a sleepy Teddy from the man's lap, as halfway through the exchange the little one had reached out demandingly towards Merle, wanting to spend time with his other new family members to. Smiling down at the snoring Teddy as he brought him to his tent to settle down for the night, waving goodnight at Merle before slipping under the tent flap.

~

A few day later after making sure the other group wouldn't make themselves at home with their camp, they went on a hunting trip together, as they usually did before the Atlanta group had come along, as Harry had decided it was time to tell them of his and Teddy's magic and the advantages. Stopping them in the middle of a clearing a mile or so from the camp, asking them to sit when they asked him what was wrong.

Shooting worried looks at him as they did as he asked, enraptured as he quickly explained, as best he could, about his and Teddy's magic along with the supplies his choker had within it, shooting spectacle looks at it before he demonstrated by pulling out a few family sized bags of crisp, skipping over the world skipping part as it still boggled his mind and going with there being small hidden family oriented community's in Europe that was wiped out except for him and Teddy as they had gotten away in time. Worrying his lip and shifting his feet at the brothers stunned looks, ready to bolt with Teddy at any moment. Seeing his anxiety by their lack of reaction, Merle quickly piped up, "So this magic mojo thing, you haven't been using it to do some voodoo like shit on us right?" He asked, majority accepting as they were already apart of his family, nothing could really make him reject them, except for a major betrayal. Daryl nodding his head in agreement with him, sensing his thoughts on the matter.

Sighting in as he slumped against the log behind him in relief, reading the accepting air around the brothers, "No, our magic is very different from old folktales like voodoo, if I do use any magic on you it would be in a case of an emergency." He answered, the brothers accepting his explanation as it was nodded their heads before they continued to curiously question him about his and Teddy's magic and it's uses for a while longer as they stayed in the clearing, answering as much as he could, before continuing on with the hunt as normal. As a warm bubbling feeling built up in his chest at the clear acceptance of the two brothers.

Later on making it back to camp with a large buck slung between the two brothers shoulders, slowly helping them lay it down on a plastic sheet, before they, or more like Harry was meet with a fuming Lori, raising an eyebrow at her when she started ranting at him, "Where have you been young lady, don't you know how irresponsible it is to have had such a young baby out there with you and those two ruffians," pointing at an unimpressed Merle and Daryl as she said this, "what would you have done if he had been hurt while you were out fooling around." She finished by crossing her arms in, what he guessed, was supposed to be a reprimanding posture, pointedly ignoring the large deer that they've literally just brought back to their camp.

Frowning at the way she was talking about him and his family, "One I don't have to report anything to you, if I had to report to anyone, it would be this guy," gesturing to an amused Merle, "Who was with me the whole time. Second, I'm 20, I can take care of myself without you butting your unwanted nose into my business." He continued, shooting a dirty look at her for her pretentiousness, "And I would never let anything happen to Teddy, as I know what I'm doing , thanks to these two so called ruffians," sneering at her as he said the last part, "and what part exactly, of hunting for food to put in our stomachs, is called fooling around, hmm?" He smiles as he asked her mockingly.

Scoffing at him, "You could've left the hunting to them, while you helped the rest of us with things around the camp, instead of running off or lazing around here." She reprimanded him as if she had any right to.

Raising his brow even higher, as he glanced back at an amused Merle, as if to ask, 'is this b**ch serious', rolling his eyes at their snickering as he turned back to face Lori, "Look lady, I don't know who you think you are to be bossing me around, when you literally only hung laundry once before sitting on your ass or running off with that little boytoy of yours over there, the rest of the time you were harping at the others for one thing or another without actually helping them at all," he spat at her as he leaned forward, "and I don't know where you got the notion that we were part of your group just because we're sharing the quarry, we were here first for a week and doing just fine before you and big bad puppy," gesturing towards Shane where he was on top of the RV, watching them with narrowed eyes, "over there pulled up, so stick the notion that your the queen bee over both camps, up your ass!" Watching in satisfaction as she started sputtering obscenities before running back to her side of the camp with her tail tucked between her legs, likely to go whine at Shane about his words to her.

Smirking as he turned back to his group, bursting out laughing at their amused looks. Flipping a napping Teddy to his back, then helping the brothers tie up the large buck to a sturdy tree branch, and placing a bucket underneath it. Standing up straight, switching Teddy back on his chest, as he popped his back with a satisfying pop, looking around for something to do, he decided to try his hand at washing their clothes bare handed. Getting twin nods when he asked the brothers if he could wash some of their clothes, heading off towards the lake with a partially full basket of dirty clothes.

~

After that, it seemed as if a switch had been flipped within Lori when it came to him, as she constantly hounded him for one thing or another that sounded more and more like the things she herself were guilty of. Like leaving behind a lonely Carl, every time she had the chance to run off into the woods with Shane, earning him pitting looks from the rest of his group, no one actually stepping up to the plate, except for him and Daryl, to help the young boy.

Keeping the little boy occupied by asking him to properly introduce him to the rest of the Atlanta group, and accompanying him when he offered to help particular members of the group with whatever they needed help with. Which they were thankful for as Lori usually harped at them to get it done without actually helping them in any meaningful way, either sitting around and getting in their way, and making them take even longer, when she didn't know what she was doing, or running after Shane when he called for her.

Something that was confusing him though, even though he was gay, he hadn't been with anyone since before the official start if the war, and they had been girls! So he was slightly confused by her harping about him running off into the woods doing who knows what with older men, 'is she really harping at me about herself? Is Shane older then her?' Not that he just lets her get away with coming at him either, each time she tried to harp at him for something ridiculous, he would turn it around on her as he pointed out how all her points fit her more then him. Which infuriated her as all of her dirty laundry was aired for all her camp members to hear as she usually liked to start these rows in the middle of the camp, the weird thing is that she seems to forget or thought that he wouldn't come back at her the next time? Rinse and repeat, the cycle restarts the next day, with Lori harping at him for one thing or another, him turning it around on her, then spending the rest of the day with Carl, introducing Teddy to him, then returning to his camp to share his latest story with his other family members, which usually had them laughing hysterically for a few minutes

Merle even suggesting that,"Maybe she feels her position as top dog of the Atlanta group is threatened by you, as she doesn't seem to be used to others standing up to her, and is trying to put her faults on you, to make you look bad in front of the others." Considering it, it made a lot of sense, as most of the Atlanta group members who used to look to Lori and Shane for guidance where now looking at him and sometimes, Merle.

~

A loud 'SMACK' rang out from the middle of the still campsite.

Pulling back his hand from where he had just smacked the b**ch, known as Lori, down to the ground from where they were standing near the camp's fire, in a blind rage, her cheek already starting to bruise into the shape of his hand where he had struck her. He could hear a far off enraged roar coming from his left which he ignored for now, instead focusing on the dazed Lori with a deadly gaze that promised her more pain then a simple smack if she open her mouth just one more time. His now slitted glowing green eyes pining her shocked watering ones to the ground as he hissed out, almost slipping into parseltongue, a threatening, "Don't you dare, soil the memory of mine and his parents with your filthy, mongrel of a mouth," snarling at her in warning as she tried to slowly crab crawl away from him, "if you dare even try to disregard our parents as worthless no goods, or anyone I consider family, including the Dixon's, again and I will bestow upon you the worst pain you could ever imagine, then I will let you live only just long enough to see the next day before stamping out your worthless existence by slamming your still beating heart through your throat, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME!" Snapping out of his red tinged daze when she nodded and ran from him, for a split second considering letting his panther follow in its instincts and chase her down. Looking around the camp at the shocked and fearful faces of the Atlanta group members, snorting as turned to his left, hearing a struggle from behind him. Turning to see the amusing sight of Daryl and Merle pinning an enraged Shane to the ground as easy as pie, as Mad Dog, as they've began to call him, began spitting like a rabid dog, eyes focused on him as he tried to struggle out from below the two rednecks. Nodding his head to the brothers in thanks before taking off towards their clearing, the one where he told them of his magic. Checking on a quiet Teddy before entering the treeline, before taking off in a slow jog when curious eyes meet his, needing a quiet place to calm his mind without being interrupted and to drain his adrenaline pumping, war trained instincts. His panther taking over partially as he began to run through the woods with a cheerfully laughing Teddy, feeling even more free than when he was riding his broom add with the bonus of listening to the sound he loved the most, Teddy's happiness, all the while being very careful of his precious cargo.

Reaching the edge of the clearing with his chest heaving, and sweat pouring down his neck as he slumped against the log in the middle of the clearing. Relaxing against it but still keeping a careful awareness of his surroundings and all possible dangers, listening to and enjoying the tranquility of nature as Teddy calmed down from laughing so much while he ran.

A few minutes later registering footsteps as a quiet Merle and Daryl joined them against the mildly large enough for all three of them to lean on, log.

Both staying quiet, until Merle finally broke the easy silence with an amused, "Damn shortcakes, aren't you a ferocious little spitfire when you get pissed, remind me to never get on your bad side!" He grinned down from his taller vantage point, as he reached over to let Teddy play with his fingers.

Sending a small smile at him as he nudged his side as he joked along with him, "Hmm, that might be hard to do there buster, when you keep calling me that god awful name and all." He grinned as he nudged him a bit harder.

Merle smirking back at him, as he was grabbed from his other side and given a noogie by an amused Daryl. Releasing him a few seconds later, glaring at up at him and a laughing Merle as he tried to pat down his already naturally messy hair. Shaking his head at their silly actions, warming up a bit and smiling when he realized they were trying to cheer him up, whatever earlier annoyance simmering down as it was replaced by the warm feeling of acceptance, still there but definitely muted. Leaning back against their shoulders as he asked, "So anything interesting happen after I left?"

Both snorting at his ridiculous question as of course something happened, it was Daryl who answered, "Well the older blond haired chick who has a hard on for him started screaming at us to let Shane go, Dale just stood there shaking his head for a bit before heading back into that RV of his. When we finally let Shane up, Merle decked him when he tried to take a swing at us, he fell unconscious which made the Blondie scream even more at us. The kids were all in a bit of awe, especially queen bee's kid, and the rest where a mixture of impressed and disgruntled at you cuz ya smacked the bitch pretty hard." Smirking as he replayed the whole spectical in his minds eye, clearly finding the whole thing to be funny.

"That they did shorty, I personally would've loved it if you punched her, or smacked her twice, but I'm pretty sure you made your impression on her with that mighty death glare of yours," Merle smirked at his now kitten glare compared to earlier, standing up as he said, "now why don't we get going while the gettings good, the sun will go down soon, and I personally don't what an ugly taking a chunk outa my ass in the dark." Offering up his right his hand to help him up, Daryl grabbing onto his left as they hefted him up to his feet.

Curiously taking look over his left shoulder Daryl asked, "Is the Lil'Man OK, it must been very exciting for him." Being meet with the now tiredly sucking on his thumb Teddy.

Chuckling as he removed Teddy's thumb and replacing it with his dummy, "Yeah, he's fine just a bit tired."

Walking the rest of the way in a friendly silence. Checking their warning systems along the way, making sure nothing's messed with it since they haven't really checked on it in a while. Making it back to camp, they headed straight to their corner, completely ignoring the looks they got from the others. Taking a seat down in his chair, and taking out a premade small container of mashed up banana and strawberry, with a small amount of chocolate shavings thrown in much to Teddy's delight and a bottle of mildly chilled milk that he steadily feed to his little one sitting up in his lap, as he accepted a bowl of vegetable and squirrel soup. Making light conversation over the low campfire, before heading to bed as the sudden extreme emotions earlier had tuckered him and Teddy out more than usual.

~

After that day, it seemed as if the rest of the camp avoided him, not that he really minded it, all except for Carl, who he had taken under his wing a week or so ago, as his mother would still ignore his very existence unless it was dinner or bed time which forced her to remember she had a child, any other time she spent with Shane.

So, a week or so earlier, when he had seen the lonely boy just siting against the side of the RV with his legs pulled up to his chest, he had made a decision then and there as he walked over to him, that if Lori didn't want this cute little boy then be might as well adopt him as his bigger cute little boy, and asked him if he wanted to help him with somethings.

Ever since then the ten year old had been stuck to his side since, as Merle called it, like a puppy. He even introduced Teddy to him who gave the older boy a big and bright 5 tooth smile, clearly charmed by the baby, Carl had smiled back just as brightly, as he let Teddy grab and inspect his hand.

It had continued on this way for weeks, even when he decided that he would teach Carl a few basic defensive and offensive maneuvers that he could use with his small body until he could either disable his opponent or a friendly adult made their way to him. Merle and Daryl joining in with him, teaching Carl how to aim for the back of the legs, and to use his opponents bigger size against them as they would have to reach down to try and get at him.

They made it into their schedule that every other day they would take Care down to a nearby clearing and teach his to throw punches, kicks, and how to dodge, Daryl joining in sometimes others he just sat by and made corrections to his form or little tidbits he had picked up from when he was a kid.  
When they were satisfied with his progress they helped him learn how to aim and use a handmade sling shot, as this was a versatile weapon were you could use almost anything as ammo, telling him not to use this on his allies as it does have the power to cause severe damage if used the wrong way and could possibly kill.

It was pitiful, just how bad of a mother Lori was, as it took her almost a full month before realizing where her son was spending his time. During which the rest of the campers had gotten over him hitting her, even if the reminder was still on her cheek as a nasty black and purple bruised swollen hand print.

It happened at random one day, when she was passing by their training spot to see her son learning fighting forms from those blasted rednecks and British b**ch!

"Incoming, Shortcakes." Merle nodded his head at the fuming Lori making her way to them, when he looked at him.

Groaning in frustration, readying himself for another cat fight as she made it to them, "What do you no good, wet backs think your doing with my son!" She screeched, trying to yank Carl's arm to pull him behind her, shocked when he wrenched if back and hide behind Harry instead, "What did you do to him!"

Glancing at the terrified little boy behind him, he steeled himself, accepting that he really did see Carl as his now, turning back to face Lori, he said with a stone faced mask that the Blacks would've been proud of as be spoke in a cold voice, "Clearly your job, as your to busy up Shane's ass that you don't even realize what your son's been feeling. I've never seen such gross child negligence!" He spat out at her as she recoiled from him, clearly now remembering what happened in their last confrontation. "If I let him go back to you , who knows what would've happen to him if a geek had walked into the camp, at least with us he's not lonely and is being taught how protect himself at least a little bit of the worst thing happened!" He bared his teeth in a snarl as Merle whistled somewhere besides him. Turing to the grinning child next to him, he softly said, "Come on Carl." Tugging him up the slight slope of the clearing and back towards the camp.

"Where do you think your going!" Lori stammered as she followed close behind them, a grinning Merle and exasperated Daryl not to far behind.

"To get Carl's things," he simply stated, crouching down next to Carl looking him in the eye as he gestured to his and Loris tent, "go get your things Carl, your coming with us." Some of the other members coming out to see what was today's argument about.

Sputtering in outrage as she stammered out a, "Y-you can't do that!" She screamed as she stomped her foot on the ground acting more like a ten year old more than the actual ten year old.

Standing up straight, he looked her in the eyes smirking as he said, "Watch me." Walking away with a happy Carl, leaving behind a shocked still Lori.

A laughing Merle following in behind them, who simply slapped the boy on the shoulder as he said, "Welcome to the Dixon's, Mini Man." With a wink as he overstepped them heading back towards their camp.

After placing his bag in  
Harry's tent, he lead an unsure Carl towards their campfire, sitting him down next to him as he explained to and offered to adopt Carl as his own and bring him with them as they plan on leaving in a couple of days to find a safer place for Teddy. Telling him that he didn't have to make a decision now as they still had a week or so, but he couldn't tell anyone, smiling at the small boy as he defended his head from Daryl's hand as he passed by, smirking down at the boy as he did.

After finishing with their dinner a few hours later, he settled a tired Teddy as he told Carl to set his sleeping bag next to his, finally climbing into his tent to find a softly snoring Carl. Smiling, he placed a sleeping Teddy down before giving both boys a kiss on the forehead before settling in himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AU: apologies guys, I got sick for a few days with temple migraines on the left side of my head and couldn't focus on the editing for a few days, on the flip side quickly comment below if I should write a scene where Harry goes with Merle, who has problems with cold turkey shivers and was going through the rehab processes before the walkers, and gives the whole supply run group plus Rick a severe talking to before releasing Merle and taking the lead and guiding a high Merle out to safety. Or, he spends time with Carol when the supply group gets back and helps Daryl kick Shane's and Rick's ass's then goes off with him to save Merle, getting there just as he was just about to saw into his hand?


	4. The Run

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AU: Thanks again, you guys so for the amazing support! Also I'm really sorry I couldn't fit the Daryl POV into this chapter as when I got done with the initial planning for it, I realized it would be more interesting if I placed it in the next chapter as one of the scenes would be perfect to do in his POV, you'll find out what scene I'm talking about ;-). Also for now on the thoughts will be indicated by 'thought' as I've given up trying to figure out how to italicize. I'll try to go back and fix the other thoughts and mistakes when I can. But no real promises it'll be anytime soon. This chapter is also 14000+ words long, oh my god.

The next few days were then filled with having mostly one-sided conversations with Carl, caring for Teddy, who was excited to have an older kid to play with, as he usually did, and swapping 'war' stories with the brothers.

He would sit down with Carl and listened to his as he rambled on about who was his favorite comic book superhero, their powers, and why they were his favorite. listening to the lonely boy seemed to do him a load of good, as he seemed to brighten up at the feeling of actually being listened to and heard by a parental figure. Even smiling now as Harry would sometimes let him hold the now two and a half year old Teddy while he babbled on to the both of them. When they weren't talking, Carl would usually be following him around the camp, watching as he cooked dinner over the fire, as Harry went through the process of making Teddy's baby food in the morning, now leaving small soft chunks in it so that Teddy could grow used to chewing with his new set of baby teeth. And he had claimed the seat next to him when they sat down to eat, listening in and sometimes joining in when he and the Dixon's told some of their more hilarious tales. Stories like the time when Daryl got lost in the woods one day when Merle was at a party and found out the hard way how to recognize poison ivy and not to use the leaves as toilet paper, the story would usually have all three of them clutching their stomachs as they howled with laughter while Daryl looked on with an unimpressed scowl. All in all they grew closer together with each and every subtle action of affection and story shared, becoming an even more close knit family.

After their humiliating take down, the two normally loud peacocks of the Atlanta group had stayed tellingly silent for a few days as they tried to recover their damaged egos from the verbal and physical wounds that he and the brothers had given to them. Then once they've recovered their absolutely massively inflated ego, they tried to 'save face' by spreading as many unsavory rumors they could come up with about them to their group members, some of the non commendable members actually believing them as they would usually try to avoid them whenever they were in their sights, and the ones that had witnessed the entire argument while it happened were confused when their so called leaders tried to make them believe in one thing when they've clearly witnessed another. Before they marked it down as their leaders trying to cause trouble with the Dixon's as they had heard alot of the things they were doings wrong whenever they had these spats.

Still while they didn't believe in the rumors they were spreading, they still remained wary of the Dixon's as they could sense, they were the ones not to be messed with, which frightened them to their core as most of them at the center, were sheep. Sheep that would follow the more confident, bigger, and loud sheep while avoiding the ones that were felt to be predators in their own right, as they were stronger, mentally and morally, and could survive the world as it was better then the sheep could.

And since they didn't really believe that he wouldn't actually hurt them as some believed what Shane and Lori were spouting, he had to fill up the time he usually took out of his day to help the other group, he used it to finish the smaller things around the camp and extra bonding time with his boys. One of these small things he's taken up, was spending time near the lake, either washing clothes or just relaxing by taking a walk near the bank, sometimes even taking both Teddy and Carl with him, as whenever he took these walks, he liked to leave Teddy behind to bond more with his other family members for a short while, trusting in the brothers to watch over them, and if need be protect them for a short time, while he took his walk.

It was one day in particular, as he was taking one of his walks, that it seemed Shane had decided now was the time to get revenge on him for his humiliation of Lori. Quietly, or so he thought, coming up from behind him, reaching out to grab him, one arm posed to snag his waist and the other to cover his mouth. Or that's what he would've done if Harry's enhanced instincts hadn't already warned him of what his approach, quickly spinning around with a roundhouse kick to Shane's side just as he got close enough to grab him. Taking on a loose stance with one hand held out in front of his body for balance and if he needed to block as his other grasped the handle of the dagger strapped to his back, as Shane hit the ground with a surprised grunt. Keeping his eyes trained on him, not even twitching as Merle came barrelling out from the brush, as he had came out to find him, leaving the kids with Daryl, only to come upon the sight of him as he took Shane down with his kick.

As he reached his side Merle took a quick reassuring scan of his body before asking what happened, not relaxing as he said, "I don't know what his exact intentions were, but he just tried to sneak up behind me and was about to grab me."

Narrowing his eyes as he looked down at the Deputy, who was now clutching at his bruised side, as he walked up to stand beside him and kicked him on his back before placing his heavy, booted foot on Shane's hand, pressing down as he asked, "And what exactly were you doing coming up from behind one of mine, all sneaky like, for? Hmm."

Coming up to Merle's other side, watching as Shane's face scrunch up in pain as Merle applied pressure with his heavy boots onto his right hand.

Trying to tug his hand out from beneath Merle's boot as he sat up as much he could, scowling when he couldn't, looking up at Merle with a sneer as he said, "I wasn't doing anything besides teaching your little pet not to mess with someone bigger then they are, as you obviously haven't. Now get your foot off my hand."

Snorting in disgust as he applied even more pressure to his boot, now almost crushing the petty officers hand, "And what part of you thought that was a good idea? The only part of you that Shortcakes can't whoop would be your ego, which seems to be larger then your brain" Sneering down at him as he released his hand, only to replace it with a punch to Shane's face, crouching down next to him as cradled his bloody nose. Pulling the deputy up closer by his shirt collar, "And even if he couldn't have kicked your ass all the way to China and back, it'll do you a load of good to remember that Shortcakes here ain't alone, he's got me and ma brother and we ain't no slouches." Giving the deputy a feral grin as comprehension, of what would've happened if he had succeeded in harming him, took hold. As even though he talked smack about them and had experience with fighting before, that was when he had a squad of other officers behind his back, and he got the feeling, no he knew that the brothers could take him out in a heartbeat if they wanted to. "Now I think it's time for you to run back to your keeper, ain't it officer." Drawling out the officer with a mocking tone.

Harry observing all of it with amusement as he stood back behind them, with a warm fuzzy feeling swelling up inside him as he was defended by someone he considered to be family, snorting as Shane dragged himself off of the rocky ground and quickly headed back to his camp, and away from them, still cradling his broken nose as his massive ego taken a major hit by being downed by a girl smaller then him and a blasted redneck.

Walking up to stand beside a silently fuming Merle, grabbing ahold of his shoulder as he leaned up to give his cheek a quick peck, "Thanks Merle!" Smirking as he froze the second his lips touched his cheek, walking up the bank a little bit before turning around to wave back at a shell shocked Merle, "I'm going to go see if the girls need any help with the laundry, you can come along if you want to."

Standing stock still in a daze, as he watched Harry make it few paces in front of him, Merle shook himself out of his shock as he jogged to catch up to him, all the while thinking to himself, 'Just you wait, you little minx, just you wait.' Smirking as his thoughts took a turn to what exactly he would do if he was able to catch the sassy doctor alone, as his feelings for him have grown from what they were when he first meet him.

~

They entertained themselves the entire time walking by taking good natured jabs at each other with ridiculous jokes and good natured teasing, with Merle giving him a good noogie a time or two for some of his more ridiculous jokes, most of which he copied from Sirius, just mostly having a good time while in each other's company, all until they made it to the girls.

All the good will they had gathered during their walk, was wiped from their beings as their widely grinning faces quickly fell into furious scowls, when they finally made it to the part if the lake where the girls were washing the laundry, quickly taking off towards them, rage taking over as they were met with the sight of Carol's abusive pig of a husband was dragging her by her wrist in what looks a punishing grip, away from the other scared and screaming girls. Making it just in time as Ed slapped Carol to the ground, Merle letting out an ear splitting roar as he tackled the fat bastard away from where he was standing over her with a raised hand, quickly pinning him to the ground as he started laying into him with heavy, punishing punches. Beating him to an inch of his life.

Leaving Merle to deal with the fat bastard, to the slight disgruntlement of his panther who wanted to take a bite out of Ed and make him into his chew toy, as he rushed pasted him and made his way to the hysterically crying Carol.

Holding her up with the help of the determined Jacqui, carrying her between them as they walked to a larger rock on the bank, away from the sight of her husbands face being caved in by the unrelenting Merle. Secretly hoping that no one stops Merle while he's gone and that he 'accidentally' kills Ed, focusing as he kneeled down in front of Carol, taking her hands in his slightly smaller ones as he helped her go through breathing exercises to help calm her down, tears still leaking out to stream down her cheeks as she did as he asked.

Waving away a worried Jacqui and the others as they tried crowding around them, once she had calmed down enough leaning in to check on her already reddening cheek, luckily Ed didn't have that much strength in his hits as all that she would experience would be some harsh bruising to her face without any swelling or cracks to her jawbone. Once done, standing up next to her as he glanced back to check on Merle, disappointed as they other girls had somehow convinced him off the fat pig, who laid unconscious on the ground with a bloodied and swollen face, possibly with fractures to his jaw, cheekbones, and skull that, if he was lucky, would bleed out just enough fluids to kill Ed. Turning back to look down at Carol with a blank look as he contemplated, that if he talked with her now, would she be able to understand what he was saying. Shrugging his shoulders as he might not get an opportunity like this for a while, lightly tugging on Carol's forearm to get her to up on her feet and gently leading her through the trees to find a quiet place away from the others as the talk he was about to give her was better suited to be done in privacy.

Gently sitting her down on a fallen tree log in one of the smaller clearing closer to the camp, sitting a little ways next to her on the log, as she nervously tilted her head to face him, seemingly to have realized she had followed someone her group had said was dangerous into the woods, alone. Giving him a nervous look as she asked, "I-i-is there something you want t-to talk about."

Giving her a quick assessing look, before deciding to go with his usual bluntness "I know what your going through. How you feel."

Clearly startled at his words, Carol quickly shrunk into herself as a defensive coping mechanism, "What do you m-mean?" she deflected with a question but she clearly knew what he was talking about.

Giving her a skeptical side glace before directing his gaze in front of him, as he replied with a hint of sympathy in his tone. "It doesn't get any better, only worse, especially if you don't do anything to defend yourself, the beatings, the belittling, the overwhelming sense of helplessness, they will never go away as you are."

Not even looking back at her when he finished, the peaceful clearing they were in falling into a tense silence, only broken when she grew to fed up with the uncomfortable silence, turning to catch a glimpse of the fierce, powerful woman she could be if she grew out of her shell, a small speck of pride for her growing in his chest as she asked the same question that they all, that he used to, ask, only in a more aggressive, frustrated way, "And what am I to do about it, its not as easy as most people seem to think it is to leave the only thing I've ever known, and Ed is the only thing I know, I have no other way of going. I don't know how to survive out in the world by myself, as the only thing I knew since I was young was abuse, the only happiness I have in this world is my daughter, and he was how I was able to have her and keep her." She finished, huffing in her breaths as this was the first time she's every defended herself so adamantly, giving him a slight scrutinizing glare, the warrior she had the potential to be peeking out for a split second before she retreated into herself again, clearly exhausted from finally speaking up for herself for the first time since she married Ed, and found out exactly what type of monster he actually was.

Smiling for that split second she peek out, before returning back to his blank mask, steeling himself to give her some hard truths about herself and the world as it is now, taking in a steading deep breath, and releasing, "Carol, I know it's hard to believe, to believe that there is something after Ed, but there is, I know, bloody hell! I've been there. The beatings my uncle gave me from a young age, along with the starvation and longing for a family that doesn't abuse me. I thought that as long as I did as they wanted they would eventually grow to at least like me, but I was wrong. People like them don't change from you giving then what they want, I realized this when I was accepted into the private boarding school my parents when to, the more time I spent away from their grasp the more I realized what they were doing, and more importantly, I didn't need them to survive. I left their house without a single goodbye the moment I was of age and didn't look back once since then. The main reason I'm telling you this in the first place, is because I see a bit of myself in you Carol, and I know you can do the same, especially since you have Sophia." Taking in another deep breath as he watched her slowly coming out of her shell with a dubious look on her face, as if she doubted what he saw in her was true. "I've only had full custody of Teddy for about half a year, once his grandmother died as his Godfather it was my place to raise him, not that it was any hassle as he is the center of my whole world that keeps me going to this day. I want to give him the world, or at the very least a better life than the once I had growing up. Especially now that the bloody freakin' zombie apocalypse is here and is going to be here for a long while yet." Pausing to give her a heated glare as he started pointing out their major differences, "But that's were you and me differ, you have a biological child that has grown from inside your womb for nine months and has been with you ever since she was born, and as much as you've tried to shield her from the worst of it, all she has ever known since coming into this world, is abuse. There are ways to leave Ed, some easy some hard, all with you keeping your daughter. Especially now as if you want to survive and you want your daughter to live without only knowing Ed, then you can't just be a meek mouse when everything out there wants to tear you and Sophia to shreds, without even giving it a second thought, and I'm not just talking about walkers either" Giving her as piercing look as he finished off, "And I can't stand by and watch as children are endangered or scared, so if you don't shape up I will do the same as I did with Carl, even if I don't want to as she would have a perfectly capable mother to protect her if you would get your sh*t together." Placing a comforting hand on her frozen shoulder, squeezing as he said his last piece of advice before leaving her to her thoughts, "If you want to start being that mother to her leave Ed, come to me I'll help you, and don't worry you don't have the right plumbing for me to like you like that. Just remember that you have to be a survivor first, protector second and then a mother in that order to keep yourself and Sophia alive and well. Remember Survivor. Protector. Mother." He chanted behind his shoulder as he walked off back in the direction of camp, as he was sure that Merle had made it back there by now.

Smack! 'Speak of the redneck hillbilly, and he shall appear,' snorting as he pinched his now sore nose as he glared up at the brick wall also known as Merle, just a few feet from the clearing where he just had his little talk with Carol, just enough to be within hearing distance without being spotted. Pouting half heartedly up at him as he stepped back, "Did you have fun eavesdropping."

Merle only giving him an unreadable look as he slung his arm around his shoulder in a one armed hug, which startled him slightly as while the brothers were very protective of anything they considered theirs, they weren't exactly the type to show physical affection. Figuring he had something to say, he stayed quiet and allowed Merle to steer him towards the camp, waiting patiently as Merle only piped up halfway back to camp, "I heard what you told the gal back their, and I want you to know one damn thing," pausing as glared down at him with a firm conviction, "Whatever happened to you in your past, even with this magic mojo shit, you ain't alone anymore Shorty, you got me, my brother and the two little tykes with you now, and we ain't going nowhere."

Snapping his startled gaze up to meet the unrelenting cobalt blue, before quickly snapping back down as his eyes began to mist slightly with unshed tears, as the ever present warmth he was now being to associate with the brothers, rose up from within him now ten time stronger then before, his panther agreeing as it's deep rumbling purrs started to rumble out from the back of his consciousness.

~

Their peacefulness, as it seemed to be the latest trend today, was shattered once they stepped foot into the shared camp grounds, by the ear splitting screech of the Atlanta groups banshee, also known as Lori Grimes. Giving each other long suffering looks, groaning in exasperation as they both turned to face the latest disturbance to their day, with Merle's arm still slung around his shoulder, using him as a miniature cane to lean on.

Lori's face turning as red as a ripe tomato as she stomped her way to them from the middle of her camp, with a smug looking bruised Shane left behind her where he usually was, sitting in his lounge chair by the campfire.

Giving each other impatient looks as the banshee stopped a few feet in front of them and started her usual long-winded harping, "You utter disruptive and violent brutes, how dare you beat up someone who's been doing their best to keep us safe! First you think you own the place, parading yourself around the entire camp, hitting me and then you steal my child and now you've decided that you're going to use our leader as a punching bag, enough is enough!" She huffed and puffed like the angry bull she was portraying, getting even madder at their apathetic looks, stomping her foot on the ground as if to make a point, instead of making herself look even more ridiculous, "I demand that you cease your reckless behavior at once! Stop brainwashing my child into liking you, and go over there and beg for forgiveness for your actions. Maybe, just maybe if you're good we'll take you back into the group." She finished with a patronizing smile as if she actually expected they would do as she demanded of them.

Both of them giving her irritated looks as Merle sneered down at her, making her take a few step back to his satisfaction, "First of all girly, you might want to back off your high horse before someone smacks you off of it, again," sending her a dark smirk as she let out a pathetic growl, "Secondly, we were here first, if I remember correctly we only allowed you to stay because y'all had the kiddies with ya, which you proceeded to ignore and neglect yours so much so he followed Shortcakes around like an abandoned puppy, now what I don't remember was 'My' group merging in with yours. Or Officer Dipshit over there doing a damn thing besides sitting on his ass all day." Sneering as he turned and begain leading Harry away towards their side of the camp, letting out a parting shot over his shoulder, "And you seem to doing fine in the begging for him department anyway, don't want to inflate his ego anymore, with any luck he'll explode from it as it is."

Smirking as they both let out low chuckles, Merle keeping him by his side as they walked back over to their camp. Harry hefting up a cranky Teddy into his arms, while giving Carl a one armed hug and Daryl a nod in thanks before he was distracted by his brothers antics, rocking Teddy to sleep after feeding him half of his midday bottle, slightly missing the heat and feeling of security he got when Merle's arm was wrapped around his shoulder as he settled into his chair, Carl sitting next to him reading quietly from his favorite comic book.

~

Ever since the day before, Shane's been avoiding going anywhere near them, having learnt his lesson on challenging one of them to a fight, though that didn't necessarily mean he didn't rave about them. He and Lori has been on a war path trying to convince the others about how dangerous they are to the group, to them specifically, and twisting the stories of their confrontations even further in their favour to the point of sounding outlandish and preaching them to anyone who would listen. Which wasn't a lot now as most of the main group had been disenchanted with them and their lies with each and every confrontation they had witnessed with the Dixon's.

Ed, who had somehow been dragged to the Pelletier's shared tent, neither seen nor heard from ever since he woke from the beating Merle gave him, which sadly didn't kill off the abusive pig, as he remained sulking inside his tent as he recovered, rarely coming out. Carol seemed to be considering the advice/offer he gave to her the other day, as she kept sneaking hurried glances towards him and their camp, even took to making Sophia come to their camp to play with Carl, and away from Ed. Although she has yet to give him an answers, he's still holding out on her realizing what she needed to be in order to protect Sophia in this new world.

~

A few days later, after gaining pent up steam from no one really listening to him anymore, Shane decided to try and reassert his dominance over the group by demanding that they needed a major supply haul. Completely ignoring the fact that Glynn had just finished a long run the day before with a good haul of food, hygiene products and medicine, that he had let them keep for themselves as he had all the medical supplies he would ever need in his choker stud, along with a room in his trunk that he could fashion into a miniature mediwing, nor mentioning the fact that he was basically a doctor as for one he didn't think any of them would believe it for a second, and two as much as he would help the kids if something happened, he wasn't so willing to help the adults. He could do this as before being sucked into this world he had taken the Medi-Wizard exams and passed, which in the muggle world equivalent he could be considered a licensed doctor, and as he was a home practice he didn't have to take the Hippocratic oath that the healers that worked at St. Mungo's had to.

Shane continued on with his ridiculous speech about how they needed a lot more supplies then they had at the moment as they had a lot of people in the group and how two or three bags every few days weren't cutting it. Gaining steam, Shane quickly gathered up a group of people to go into the city to get more supplies under a disapproving Glynn's lead.

Snorting as he shook his head at their idiocy, as the main reason Glynn was able to get so much at a time was because he moved fast, knew the area like the back of his hand and didn't have to worry about the safety of others as he weaved through the walkers.

Giving a startled jolt as he quickly spun around to stare with wide eyes as Merle volunteered to go along with the group, saying that he's been feeling a bit couped up in the small quarry, Shane eyeing him up and down with a wicked gleam in his eye as he agreed. Sharing a startled look with Daryl, who nodded his head in agreement as he glance after the retreating back of his brother, before slipping Teddy, who was playing with his wolf toy, off his chest and carefully depositing him on Daryl after giving him a quick hug, while giving Teddy and Carl a kiss on their foreheads before he took off running after Merle.

Becoming slightly concerned as he had noticed for the last two or three days Merle had been having mood swings, nothing major, with small tremors running across both his arms and back, along with sweating more than usual which lead to minor exhaustion and his face becoming a pale color underneath his tan skin.

Quickly catching up as he slowed down to a steady jog, and gently grabbing onto his elbow as he tugged a protesting Merle behind Daryl's truck, which had been emptied of his motorcycle, turning around he hissed slightly, "All right now Merle, what the bloody hell is going on. Have you come down with something?" Merle bristling slightly until he picked up the undertones of concern, turning slightly uncomfortable as he wasn't used to, besides Daryl, other people being worried about him, "First you've been having minor mood swings, then you start having small tremors and looks like your getting dehydrated as you've been dehydrating a lot and have been getting paler." Giving him a concerned look as Merle blushed slightly at his attention to details before looking away, "Please Merle, I'm worried about you, tell me what's wrong. I can help you with whatever it is." Subtly reminding him that he was a doctor.

Cursing under his breath as he tore his glance from those big green eyes that were looking up at him imploringly, grumbling as he grudgingly answered after a few seconds, "Fine, I'm having cold turkey shocks. Daryleena's and my lives wasn't all cupcakes and rainbows. Our Pa and Ma didn't care all to much for us growing up, so I had to survive on my own, and later on raise Daryl by myself. Later on when I was discharged from the Marines, I got caught up in some things, did some things I'm not all to proud of. I was going to rehab before this but..." Shrugging his shoulders as the world's gone even further to shit.

Relaxing now that he knew what was wrong, giving him an understanding look not at all pitying him or judging him for his past, as you had to do what you have to do to survive and sometimes it ain't pretty, "It's ok Merle, you don't have to say anymore I understand, just don't do anything stupid, Teddy would be mighty upset if his Uncle Merle decided to do something stupid and got his ass bit by an ugly, just give me time once we get back to look through my medical books," giving him a hard look as he was pretty sure he knew what he was going to do to get rid of the symptoms, grateful he didn't want to do it around the kids but mad at the same time since he could've gotten hurt, possibly killed, by his stupid stunt. Summoning a muggle grade pepper up from within his choker, "Here, you know the things I can do, this might not taste all that great but it should keep you going until we get back. Only five drops though, anymore and you'll feel like you're about to explode from a sugar high." Watching as the dubious Merle took the vial and tipped five drops into his mouth. Smirking, amused at the startled look he got from Merle as he started feeling more energized, the tremors fading away almost instantly.

Hopping into the passenger side and waving at Daryl, blowing kisses at his kids, as Merle slid into the driver's seat and drove off behind the other two vehicles carrying the other groups volunteers. Turning to face forward as the quarry faded into the distance, glancing over at a concentrating Merle, before bringing out a few of his medical books on drug use and possible cures for muggles.

~

Looking up as they reached the outskirts of the city, it seems as if they were only able to hit the innermost part of the city and the area where the refugee camp was supposedly located. While the part where they were entering was untouched by the bombs radius, they where still able to see the rising smoke of distruction in the background.

Stepping out of the truck, that Merle had turned so when they came back they wouldn't have to waste time reversing, and followed behind Merle to where the rest of the group had gathered just before entering the main block they were going to scavenge. Glynn explaining to Andrea, T-dog, Morales, and Jacqui what to do, what to look for and what to grab. Reaching them just as he was explaining how separating into pairs would work best as then they'll be able to move faster and hit more stores to save time. Harry standing besides Merle as his unspoken partner, Andrea partnering with Morales and T-dog with Jacqui, Glynn going alone as he was used to doing solo's but promising to keep close in case of trouble, passing out radios to each pair, keeping one for himself, and instructing them to only use them in case of an emergency, Merle rolling his eyes as he strapped theirs onto his belt.

Splitting off in the opposite direction from there, he and Merle headed to where they could spot a boarded up convenience store a few yards down the back ally they were in, taking out their blades, and Harry's staff, as they passed by a few walkers along the way, quickly killing them when they had they chance, most of them going for Merle at the front as he took them down from the back while they were focused on him. Making it they slid through the busted store window as the door was boarded up from the inside, killing the few walkers inside that seemed to have worked here before they had turned.

Overstepping the fallen bodies as they flipped open their bags, which Harry had charmed to look full but was actually bottomless and feather light having placed the enchantments and similar on some of the Dixon's things, with their permission, after his revelation of their magic. Filling them with anything they could get their hands on in the mostly untouched store, candy, still edible food, lighters, cigarettes, tape 'n glue, anything and everything they thought might be useful in some way went into the bags, moving around almost soundlessly as they worked.

Finishing up, they quickly hopped out of the window again and were starting to make their way back to the meeting point, before something caught the corner of his eye. Nudging Merle in the side and pointing at the sports and equipment store across the lane, almost completely hidden from view by a car pill up. His eyes widening in interest as he nodded in agreement, making their way across the street and around the cars. Glancing around to make sure no one but the dead was watching, Harry put up a silencing charm around them before blasting the boarded door open. Slipping inside they were meet with the dusty but awe inspiring sight of the apocalypse survival gear mother load. Almost drooling at the amount of cool looking toys(weapons and such), potential armor and survival gear within the store, shacking out of their stupor as they set to work quickly making a plan of putting some of the more useful things that they were willing to share with the Atlanta group, and summoning the rest, shrinking the ones he could, into the bottomless bags. Satisfied with their massive haul, they left the store as it was, bumping into each other with their shoulders and elbows in playful victory as they made their way back to the vehicles.

Regrouping with the rest, as they waited for Glynn by the street heading towards the vehicles, were all startled by the unexpectedly loud sound of shouting and gunshots as Glynn finally showed up. Quickly relocating into the back of a barricaded up store as the walkers started coming from all directions to the noise. Watching on in disbelief through the cracks of the boards in front, as a man in a police uniform came galloping down the street on the back of a horse. Wincing as he abandoned the horse it was flocked by the dead to hide in the tank across the road from them.

Rolling their eyes at the stupidity that still existed in the world, separating from the group Harry followed after Merle up to the rooftop as Glynn started radioing the suicidal policeman across the street.

~

Making it to the top they forced the door open as they entered into the rooftop, staring down in disbelief at the amount of walkers below them, another reason to be glad they had decided to stay at the quarry instead of making their way to the death trap of a refugee camp. Watching as the policeman escaped from the tank, frowning when he sprinted his way towards the building they were hiding in. Rolling their eyes as the scoped out their surrounding area, looking for any possible escape routes.

Harry glancing over as Merle started lightly coughing as the tremors started coming back, the pepper up running it's course earlier then expected from the fast paced movements. Allowing a grateful Merle to have two more drops, just enough to get ride of the tremors for a while until they got out of this mess.

Nodding his head in a show of gratitude as the tremors faded away again, pointing towards the pill up from earlier, "Would that be loud enough to attract these uglies from this distance, the gas around it would cause a loud explosion at most wouldn't it?"

Looking over, and nodding his head in agreement, "You think you can hit the big red one sticking out from the bottom?" Gesturing towards the large SUV missing its hood that was leaking gas all around it. Looking it over, Merle nodded as he pulled up his rifle while taking on a grounding stance. Taking three shots, the first grazing the top of the SUV with the second hitting the engine and the third hitting the gas covered pavement. Startling as the door to the roof slammed open, T-dog tackling a surprised Merle not even a second later, knocking his rifle out of his hands.

Snapping out of his surprised daze as a loud growl from his panther rumbled out of his human vocal cords, as the policeman took out cuffs from his belt and was about to cuff Merle to the pipes sticking out from the building.

SLIGHT RICK POV

Freezing in place from where he was about to restrain the man by cuffing him to the pipes as he felt the cool sharp edge of a knife being placed at his throat, a gun coming out from beside him to point at T-dog who was restraining the struggling man until he could cuff him. Shivering as a ice cold but clearly pissed British accented voice called out from just beside him, "I would suggest getting your bloody hands off my mate there T-dog, before I resort to something drastic."

T-dog quickly scrambling back as he released the pissed Merle, who slugged him once he got to his feet, before the male voice called out for him to stop, cursing at them all as he complied and came to stand where the voice originated behind them. Jolting forward as the blade was removed and he was kicked square in the back, hitting the floor and quickly getting back to his feet, only to be frozen stiff as he was caught in the furious cold stare of the greenest eyes he's ever seen.

RICK POV END

Harry still pointing Merle's rifle at the opposing group, focused mainly on the policeman, as the rage he felt slowly dwindled now that Merle was out of harm's way, enough so for him to be able to hear said policeman try to talk him down. Sending an irritated look at Merle, while also giving him a quick look over, aside for some small scrapes and bruises he was completely fine if pissed off. Returning his gaze back to the others and letting out an infuriated hiss, "What the bloody hell did you think you were doing." As he glared with a deadly promise in his eye that if he thought their answer was inadequate there would be severe consequences.

Glynn sending a worried look at the others as he stepped up to answer, "Well, we heard gunshots coming from the roof after you followed him up here, and then a loud explosion from a few blocks down. We thought he was doing something stupid." Flinching back into the others as Harry leveled a Snape worthy look of contempt at them.

Sneering in disgust at the clear racial stereotyping of the brothers, which was ridiculous as he knew Merle and sometimes Daryl teased T-dog and Glynn but that was just their way of communicating, "It's a wonder how you've survived this long believing in ridiculous stereotypical garbage such as rednecks being dumb good for nothings. Let me tell you all something if it wasn't for them going out and hunting almost everyday you wouldn't have been as well feed as you are now, neither Merle nor Daryl are stupid, their book smarts may be lacking in some areas but when it comes down to surviving out in the wilderness I would trust them with mine and my kids life." He corrected, disgusted at the clear prejudice for the brothers even after all the things they've done for them.

Annoyed at being scolded Andrea followed up with a snarky, "Then what exactly was Dundee over there shooting at?"

Merle giving her a scathing look as he answered with a curled lip, "For one I ain't from Australia girly, and if you could get your heads out of your asses for one second and looked down you would see the streets being cleared from they uglies being attracted to the noise of the explosion, allowing us to get out safely, tho you might not think that, what with me being a big dumb redneck I might've just shooting for the hell of it." Giving them one more scathing glare as he gently guided Harry by the elbow off the roof after being handed back his rifle, contemplating blocking the door for a split second and leaving them up there for payback.

Walking out into the emptied streets and quietly but quickly making their way towards their truck as the walkers might've been distracted by the loud explosion but there was no telling if they would come back or not, Harry narrowing his eyes as the officer grabbed a large duffel bag as they made their way after them to their own vehicles. Not even stopping to check if the others were following behind them or not, throwing the bags into the back of the trunk where they wouldn't fly out and taking off back the way they came towards the camp, still fuming at the notion of foul play by the other group and new guy.

~

Once on the dirt road leading up to the quarry, a concerned Harry had them pull over for a quick stop to give a protesting Merle a check over. Flipping off the vehicles as they slowed passed them, Glynn and the officer almost stopping before he gave them a warning glare. Turning expectedly to face Merle who now had a mulish look set on his face. Giving him a piercing glare as he crossed his arms, waiting. Merle sighting, "I'm fine Shortcakes, it'll take more then a sissies punch to take out Ol'Merle. Even with cold turkey tremors."

Giving him a deadpanned look, "Can I at least cast a diagnostic charm on you to settle by poor sensitive feelings." He sniffed dramatically. Rolling his eyes in exasperation, but still allowing him to cast it if only to get him of his back. Satisfied, Harry snatched up the piece of paper that came from his wand tip as soon as it came out. Nodding his head in thanks as Merle started up the truck again and pulled back out to the dirt road. It was just as he thought if was mild dehydration from being out in the hot Georgian sun with the concrete of the city making it hotter then it actually was, muscle tremors to the arms and low back, slight scrapes and bruises from the scrap up on the rooftop and minor malnutrition from not balancing their diets with fruits as they were either expired or hard to find besides wild berries. Everything else was expected of a thirty something year old man recovering from drug usage, nothing that couldn't be fixed with a spell or potion of course.

Looking up as they pulled into the quarry, startled by the sight of Carl and Lori, mainly Carl, in the new officers arms. Narrowing his eyes as he stepped out of the vehicle, only stopped from going over to them by the happy look on Carl's face, as something ugly turned inside his chest. Quickly deducing that the new officer was Carl's father, Rick Grimes, who he had though was dead as he was in a coma from being shot shortly before things had gone down and ugly. Still frowning as he helped Merle pass out the supplies the had gotten for the other group and handing the kids they toys they had grabbed for them, then heading back towards their camp, sending uncertain looks back at Carl as Daryl met them halfway. Seeing the look on his face Daryl quickly swapped him Teddy for the bags he was carrying. Cheering up as he looked down at the happily smiling face of his little cub, settling slightly as he hugged his small body to his chest as he decided to keep a further eye out on the officer and if he was anything like his wife then he would have do the same thing for a second time.

Giving Daryl a grateful nod as he helped an exhausted Merle back to his tent and setting him down, after strapping Teddy back to his chest following after them. Settling down on his knees besides him he checked Merle's body temperature, and concluding that he had just passed out from exhausting the energy he had gained from the pepper up. Placing a cooling charm around the inside of his tent, knocking himself upside the head for not offering it to them sooner in the humid Georgian nights, tucking in a blanket up to his chest and placing a chilled water bottle besides his bedroll before slipping out of the tent. Meeting up with Daryl to give him the whole story of what happened in Atlanta, waiting as he calmed down from his justifiable anger, offering to put a cooling charm on his tent before he forgot, setting it up as Daryl nodded his consent before retiring for the night, giving Carl a longing glance from where he sat next to his returned father before slipping into his own tent. Promising to himself that he would look through his medical books first thing tomorrow morning along with keeping an close eye on Carl and his father.

~“

Slowly blinking his tired eyes open the very next day, waking up as a jaw stretching yawn broke out across his face as he stretched his entire body out, much like his feline side would, silently purring in pleasure at the satisfying cracks and pops coming from his back and shoulders. Slightly more awake then he was a minute ago, he slowly started on his daily morning routine after checking on a still sleeping Teddy, brushing his teeth, and other hygienic processes, brushing his hair minimally, then making up Teddy's meals for the day and marking off the day on the charmed calendar inside his truck. Slowly picking up and rocking a sleepily blinking Teddy awake, still rocking him as he fed him his morning mash of fruits, vegetables and milk. Yawning again as he changed his and Teddy's clothes, along with his nighttime nappy, before taking out his medical texts from the day before, strapping Teddy securely to his chest as he stepped out of his tent with them under his arm.

Glancing around at the other early risers before bringing out Teddy's kiddy chair(basically a highchair with the table thingy that's low to the ground), and setting it besides him before lighting a small enough fire to cook with and setting a medium large pot filled halfway with clean water on top, leaving it to boil. Sitting back and playing with Teddy and his plushy toys as he waited for the water to come to a low boil, he didn't have to wait that long as he then set to making peaches and cream porridge(oatmeal) for him and his still sleeping family's breakfast, as Merle would need the sugar intake for today to boost his engery levels until he could work out a solution. Putting out the fire when he was finished, separating it into three bowl and leaving them to cool, setting aside enough for a fourth if Carl decided he wanted to join them or if not seconds.

Groaning coming from the adjacent tents alerted him to the brothers finally waking up, Daryl usually being the first to wake up after him as he making his way out first, giving him an appreciative look as he handed him his bowl. Slowly eating his as he watched amused as Teddy played sluggishly with his toys, every now and then offering the two year old small bites of his porridge, waiting for their last member to join them as the Atlanta group finally started showing signs of life. Sluggishly coming out from his tent and plopping down on the lawn chair next to him, accepting his own bowl with a single nod. None of them saying a word as they enjoyed the quiet morning while they ate.

Finishing his bowl and setting it aside to clean later, Harry pulled open one of the textbooks from besides him as he continued looking for a solution to Merle's problem while the other two took their time finishing their own bowls. Making small interested noises every so often as he came across intriguing pieces of information.

A half hour later, Merle and Daryl having moved on to complete their own morning rituals, coming across the answer he was looking for, excitingly getting everything he needed ready from the privacy of his tent. The remedy calling for three drops of a commen cold draught and a single tear from a phoenix, which he had several vials of at hand as Fawkes had always been gracious when it came to him. And if he ever ran out he had found, with an extensive magical scan, that with some concentrating his blood could substitute just as good for, along with becoming a very deadly poison if he so choose since he had both phoenix tears and basilisk venom running through his veins, becoming intertwined with his blood as he had a basilisk fang chip in his arm where he was bitten and two fresh doses of phoenix tears, courtesy of Fawkes himself. They as long as they were mixed into a full glass of water to dilute the properties enough so that a muggle could safely drink it, becoming a metallic purple color with no change in consistency, would be the solution to Merle's cold turkey symptoms. As the cold draught would get rid of the tremors, dehydration and exhaustion with the phoenix tears taking care of the finer details along with some minor bruising even if diluted by a whole glass of water. Summoning a glass from his trunk and casting an aguamenti to fill it with water, he carefully dropped in three drops of cold draught and a single tear and slowly mixing it untill it became the before mentioned color. Grinning from ear to ear at his accomplishment, he high fived a babbling Teddy before setting off to find Merle, casting a quick tracking charm as he set off towards the lake with calm but exited steps.

Casting another tracking charm as he neared the lake, coming up to a secluded part of the lake that curled into the woods creating a bay like area, before freezing solid in his tracks. Eyes locked on the unexpected, gorgeous muscular form before him, trailing down after the water droplets as they flowed down off of the tanned skin that stretched across hard earned muscles. The unexpectedly captivating sight before him was Merle, naked, taking a bath in the cool shallow part of the lake to get rid of the dried excess sweat and dead skin that had accumulated because of him sweating more so than usual, snapping out of his awe, slightly lustful, inspired daze with a squeak as he turned around with his back facing the startled Merle, placing his hand over Teddy's eyes as his cheeks flushed a deep red color across his tanning skin, as the arousing image of an attractive naked Merle remained in his minds eye, even his panther was purring!

Hearing quiet curses from behind him along with the sound of water splashing around as Merle moved to the outer banks to quickly dry off and dress. Silently waiting as the blush began to fade from his cheeks untill he heard footsteps approaching from behind him, turning with slightly pink cheeks to face him as he stopped a few steps behind him. Watching as Merle raised a single eyebrow at his blush before smirking, "Well, well I didn't take you for a peeping tom, if you want to get with Ol'Merle here all you gotta do is ask." Chuckling as Harry sent him a half hearted glare.

Rolling his eyes, pouting, "Well I was trying to find you to give you the remedy for your little problem, but if you're to busy then..." as he slowly turned around to leave, teasing Merle right back.

Eyes widening as when he did so two heated forearms encircled around his middle, just below Teddy's strap, pressing him up against a still damp firm, muscled chest, blushing as his mind caught up with him, "Aww, don't be like that Shortcakes, I was only teasing." Glaring up at the grinning face he could see hovering above his shoulder, before showing Merle the glass in his face, carefully not to spill any of the precious contents.

The action and the sudden closeness of the glass making Merle jolt back, grabbing the glass before it could splash around, and giving him an inquiring look at the purpose of the strange colored liquid, "What's this suppose to be?"

Rolling his eyes as he stepped out of Merle's slackened one armed grasp, "It's a healing mixture that'd suppose to get rid of your cold turkey symptoms for good, is what it is." Merle giving it a dubious look, but still trusting him as he drank the entire class in one long gulp.

Giving him sour face at the taste, "It taste like when you've just taken some of that shitty tasting liquid cold medicine and chased it down with a gallon of water." His plain disgust turning in awe as the minor tremors he'd felt going through his arm dissipated completely, feeling way better than the pepper up, along with gaining his color back and even some of the minor cuts and bruises he got on the daily by trekking through the woods, healed up.

Smirking at him as he sauntered off and left him behind to stew in his awesomeness, with a smug little smile on his face as he cooed down at the quietly guzzling Teddy, "Whatcha think cub? Would you want Merle as your Papa if I get a chance?" Grinning as he gave a delighted shriek. Silently debating if he was really going to start trying to woo Merle, 'Mr. I'm gruff and tough but secretly caring and super protective of him and his,' to be his mate. His panther's purring loudly in agreement at the thought, silently laughing as his entire being said that it would be worth it in the end. Smiling in delight of finding someone even in the middle of a zombie apocalypse in another world as he made his way back towards their camp.

~

Whatever good mood he was in was soured later on as Rick came to him, after being surprised as he took in the tough looking girl he had meet yesterday carrying around a two year old baby strapped to her chest. Asking for forgiveness for his earlier transgression of justice, as he had just followed along with the group that had helped him out off a sticky situation without making his own judgement first. Giving him a irked look as he tore into him as it wasn't him who he should be apologizing to, as it was Merle who he had almost cuffed to a roof, and making it more than clear that he wasn't in anyway apart of the Atlanta group as his family, and future partner hopefully, was with the Dixon's.

Before storming off with the parting shot of teaching his wife to actually care for her kid as no matter what lies she spread they were they ones who had taken care of Carl before he had shown up, returning to the camp itching for something to do as Daryl had taken off on another hunt earlier, Merle joining him after making sure Harry would be alright by himself for a few hours, now that he had the energy to do so as the cold turkey had left him feeling exhausted more so then usual. Sighting as he took the dirty dishes from earlier and a few of the dirty clothes as he backtracked to where he had been mesmerized by Merle earlier this morning, noticing as be passed by the main part of the lake that Andrea and her sister Amy were fishing on a small row boat in the middle of the lake, shrugging indifferent as he continued on with what he was doing.

Once finished with that he came back to the camp, placing Teddy down on a play mat besides him as he took to sharpening all of the blades he had on him until Merle and Daryl returned. Munching on some of the wild berries he had collected on his way back when he felt peckish, feeding Teddy a small container of mashed potatoes and gravy with soft carrot bits in it he had prepared earlier this morning, after placing a warming charm on it so that it wasn't cold.

~

It was around midday, a little bit after a refreshed Merle and Daryl had come back with ten squirrels and three moderately fat rabbits. As he was changing a fussy Teddy's nappy when he heard a slight commotion from outside, curiosity piped as he finished up and slipped out of his tent, impressed at the sight of where Andrea and Amy had actually gotten a decently sized haul of fish for a group of their size.

Slightly impressed with their fishing skills, he turned to head back to their camp, when he heard the most annoying voice call out, "Thank you so much girls, now we can have an actual full meal tonight."

Irked by the dismissing of the Dixon's contributions for a second time by the rather ungrateful group, "Well then Lori, if you think you haven't gotten your share of the food at dinnertime then maybe you should try being present." He shot sweetly at her from where he had come closer to their camp to investigate the cause of the commotion from a closer distance. Lori flushing an ugly shade of red, as nervously glanced back at her husband.

Harry raising an eyebrow at this, despite his irritation smirking in amusement, 'maybe officer friendly over there will be of some use after all, especially if he keeps her quite.'

Rick finally catching sight of the faded hand shaped bruise on his wife's cheek when he glanced down at her as he came closer, wondering how he hadnt seen it until now as he quickly spun her around and asked what happen and who hit her.

Harry raising an eyebrow as Lori kept quiet to Rick's insistent demand for answers, probably not wanting to let her husband know how horrible of a person she actually was, or maybe not wanting him to point out all her flaws again to the group that now included her husband.

Gaining a wicked gleam as he stepped up to answer, "I was the one who put that particular bruise on your wife's face."

Watching in raptd attention as Rick froze in place and Lori gained a horrified look on her pale face. Rick slowly turning to meet his gaze with his own furious stare, stepping in front of his wife as he crossed his arms, "And why exactly did you hit her hard enough to leave that deep of a bruise, I can take it that your angry with me for almost leaving your man on the roof, but taking it out on and harassing my wife is another matter entirely. Please explain yourself." Lori peeking out from behind him with a strange mixture of terrified glee as if she thought he would be to scared of talking back to a former deputy

Sending her a small smirk, her eyes growing wide, as he answered, "Well, officer friendly, this was before you came in, and it was a mere slap, if I had actually hit her she would've been worst off then she is right now with only a measly bruise, how about you ask her how she came to receive that slap from me?" Sending her a shark like smile as he continued, "I don't know about America but in the UK, we don't make it a habit of downgrading the memory of the deceased parents of someone they don't like and harass every chance they get. When she's not running after Shane's every beck and call, ignoring her kid while she does, or trying to make the girls into a version of Hattie McDaniel then she's trying to start a fight with me for whatever imaginary reason she can come up with. I loved my parents and honorary uncle very much and will not let someone as low as her spit on their memories." turning away from the now stark white in mortification Rick, who was gaining some red around his cheeks as he grew angry when he caught up with his insinuations, "So no, I'm not apologizing at all. And you can ask anyone here what happened that day, as she's likely to twist it around and lie, and let me just give you this warning while we're still on the subject, if I see you treating your son the same way your wife does I'm going to do a repeat performance of what happened last time with Carl." Giving him a heated glare that meant he was serious, before making his way back to his camp.

Making it back just in time as Merle and Daryl came back from dumping the entrails of tonights dinner somewhere far away from the camp, never using the same spot twice in order to stop predators from coming into their camp by following the scent back to them. Both taking an interest in where he just came from, glancing back to where he could still see the group standing, Andrea and Amy having been herded to the campfire with their catches, with both Rick and Lori suspiciously absent as Carl sat around the fire as they began to grill the fish with a to bright fire. Smirking in satisfaction as his plan to shame Lori had worked and frowning as he observed Carl by himself, shacking his head as he turned back to the brothers who were now watching him with intrigued looks at what his smirk meant.

Following behind him as he walked over to their campfire sitting around it in their usual spots, Harry closer since he was the unchallenged chef as he made everything taste better then when they cooked, not his words, with Teddy settled between him and one of the brothers in his little highchair as he played with his toys. Merle usually taking the spot to his right with his back facing the woods on his lawn chair, and Daryl on his left with his back facing the Atlanta group on his log, they were strategically positioned so that if anything happened at least one of them would see it coming.

Once he'd plopped down in his chair near the fire after placing Teddy in his chair, Merle asked what happened while they were gone. Giving him an sinisterly sweet smile as he answered, "I only partially explained to Lori's dear husband what she's been up to while he was gone, especially when he asked me why I slapped his dear 'loyal' wife." Giving them a wicked grin as they both snort as his sickly sweet tone as he clearly mocked both of the adult Grimes.

Daryl giving his an amused look as he asked, "What is it with every time we leave the camp and you approach anyone other than one of us, something interesting happens with you at it center?" Shacking his head in mock disappointment as he actually really anticipated the bit of entertainment when he came back.

Giving him an, entirely false, innocent smile as he tilted his head to the side, "I have absolutely idea what your talking about, I was just about to congratulate Andrea and her sister on their great catch." Grinning as they look at him imploring him to expand, "Andrea and Amy seem to have some skills when it comes to fishing, as the group made a commotion when they came back with around twenty or thirty fish between them I just reached them when Queen Bee commented on getting a full meal for once. I naturally recommended for her to be present at meal time if she hasn't had a good meal in such a long time as she was always running after Shane." Rumbling chuckles erupting from the brothers as he finished his explanation with another innocent tilt of his head.

Shacking their heads as they made to help Harry prepaid for dinner. Helping him cut up the herbs, mixing them with a little bit of oil as they slathered the skinned and gutted rabbits, placing them over they low fire to grill, playing with Teddy as he sporadically flipped the rabbits from side to side so they would cook evenly. All three drooling from the delicious smell coming off the grilled meat.

While they waited for them to cook, Daryl bringing up leaving the group to continue on with their original plan soon. Merle and Harry nodding their heads in agreement, both wanting to continue on as the only real regret they would have is leaving the kids to their incompetent parents. Harry bringing up his little talk with Carol as he flipped one finished side to the other, all three of them drooling again with rumbling stomachs at the smell released, and the offer he had made her. Merle gaining a contemplative look as he remembered the part he had eavesdropped on, and agreeing with him, stating that while they will leave soon they'll have to take a day or so to get everything ready and if she doesn't come to him during that time then oh well. Harry also sadly brought up Carl, Merle and Daryl also feeling wary of leaving him as they had semi accepted him as one of their groups cubs, but as he'd said earlier they'll leave in a few days as he had told Carl before, and if they don't see a problem with Rick or Carl himself not coming to them then they'll still leave, who knows maybe in the future they'll bump into him if he didn't come with. Nodding their heads solemnly as they agreed with Merle's assessment on what to do, committing to the plan of leaving for one of the gated and secured areas they had marked on the map of the areas outside of Atlanta that Harry had snagged in the very beginning.

Finishing with the grilling, they set them aside to cool as they put out the fire and replaced it with a solar charged lantern that was dimmer then the fire but gave off enough light for them to see in the mid summer night as it was almost a full moon.

Perking up as something brushed into his wards, Harry quickly grabbed Teddy and settling him back into his chest strap placing a protective and silencing charm around him so no sound could be heard from him nor could anything touch him, not that he planned on letting anything come close to him. Merle and Daryl standing at the ready when their guts and Harry warned them of approaching danger, Harry's panther assisting in enhancing his hearing and sight as he picked up on the sound of clumsy shuffling coming from the woods, taking out his Bo staff and made sure his dagger was secure on his back as Merle grabbed his pistol and large hunting knife, Daryl picking up his crossbow and made sure his knife was on his belt just as they heard as gurgling scream come from the direction of the Atlanta group.

Sharing confused looks with each other as they took off in their direction, coming to the sight of Amy's throat being ripped out by a walker who came from behind her as more came from the trees. Wondering why the hell their warning systems hadn't made any noise as Merle and Daryl started picking them off at a distance when they made it to the screaming group, chaos quickly taking over the quarry in seconds. Harry scanning his surroundings for the kids as he halved a walkers head with his staff, catching sight of them as they all huddled under the RV, screaming in terror as a walker shambled it's way towards them. An enraged growl ripping from his throat at the threat to his cubs, his panther lengthening his nails into wickedly sharp claws and elongating his teeth into terrifying fangs in his rage, as he made his way towards them ripping apart any walker that got in his way with Merle following closely behind him once he saw where he was heading.

Making it to them just as the walker made to grab the Morales girl who screamed bloody murder as it almost grabbed onto her ankle when it's head caved in half as Harry brought down his staff on it with crushing force. Crouching down, with Merle guarding his back, to make sure they were okay, giving them all a quick look over first as he ushered them out from under the RV and after making sure there wasn't any walkers in it shutting the door firmly behind them once they were all inside, taking up defense around the RV. Giving Merle a firm nod as he waved him away to go help Daryl, who was taking out the stragglers who were still coming from the woods. Giving him a reassuring glance as he made his way to his brother, Harry watching after him as he went looking around the decimated camp as the walkers were beginning to be thinned out by gunfire and Daryl's crossbow. Watching in rapt attention at the sight of a walker coming in from behind Ed, who had finally came out from his tent, as he took out another with his staff going through its eye, a wickedly satisfied grin taking over his face as the fat bastard went down under the combined weight of the two walkers at his back. 'Couldn't have happen to a better man,' he thought viciously as he began searching for Carol as Sophia was huddled inside the RV with the other kids. Catching sight of her viciously mowing her way through the walkers with a machete in her hand as she made her way towards his in the opposite direction of Ed, a pleased grin taking over his face as he caught her gaze, nodding his head at the RV where her daughter was. Relief briefly showing on her face before it hardened again, a vicious gleam appearing in her eyes as she continued to take out the walkers in her way until she made it to him, nodding her head in thanks as she to took up a defensive position in front of the RV, only briefly giving Amy's body a sad look before ignoring it as her only worry was for her daughter. He strategically kept her attention away from her now dead and feasted upon husband as he wanted to keep observing this vicious preadator he knew was under the skin of a meek sheep. His panther starting to purr, pleased at the prospect of a strong denmate similar to him to help keep their cubs safe, not as a mate but as a denmate, another close friend with a cub. While panther's weren't really sociable creatures, humans were so it altered his panther's mindset a bit to be able to consider a pridemate. Twirling his staff to face the ground, flinging off leftover blood and grim in the process, as the last walker was killed with a quick stab to the temple via Merle's knife.

Purring as he was able to release some of the built up tension in his shoulders now that he was able to have a form of stress relief by killing some of these things. Ignoring the anguished cry of Andrea as she rushed them her sisters dead body cradling its head to her chest, moving last them as he checked on the kids Inside they RV who came out now that it was clear. Crying as their respective parents came rushing over to clunch them close to their bodies, all exept for Carl's, who looked to be so saddened underneath the stark terror on his face as he realized this, frowning as he made his way over to him and hugged him to his side, a happy Teddy babbling down to him as he buried his small face into the cloth of his hoodie and began to cry softly, internally purring in satisfaction as he had his other cub close again, never to be let go of again.

~

Snapping out of his satisfied daze as Merle and Daryl made their way to him, glancing down at Carl when they did, giving them a nod that he was fine he glanced around to take the carnage in full, a lot of the other groups people were dead leaving less then half of their original number. Shacking his head to clear the rest of his panther's influence on his mind, as he tried to find the groups resident trio of leaders, not having to look very far as he spotted them on the other side of the camp, lip curling back in a snarl as neither Rick nor Lori looked all to concerned that Carl wasn't with them after what just happened. Glaring daggers at them as he gently made Carl follow them back to their side of camp, sitting him down in his usual chair and handing him a joyful Teddy, recovering from his shock slightly in order to support his adopted little brother, sitting with him for a bit more to offer comfort to him, he then set to fixing up their disarrayed camp and discarding their walker munched on dinner as the brothers went to see why their can system didn't go off. After he was finished he started packing everything in their respective owners bags leaving only the tents up, making his way back over to Carl and picking him up out of his seat, placing him down sideways on his lap, letting him burrow his face into his chest as he hugged Teddy to his, wrapping his arms around them both and rocking slightly as he ran his fingers through his hair when he started crying softly again. Cooing reassurances to him until he tuckered himself out, falling asleep in his lap after he promised to stay with him, anger rising inside him at the Grimes for making the sweet boy feel so alone, shifting Carl's weight around in his lap so that he would be more comfortable while he slept, settling down as he waited for the brothers to return.

Picking up on the sound of approaching footsteps, he turned and was greeted by the sight of the tear stained face of Carol holding up a sleeping Sophia to her chest similar to how he was with Carl. Sharing an entire conversion with just a single look, a little bit later nodding his head in acceptance, beckoning for her to take a seat next to him, which she took gladly as her legs almost gave out on her when the shock and after affects of the adrenaline rush hit her.

Sitting in an companionable silence until the brothers came back from checking on the cans, only pausing slightly at the sight of Carol but shaking it off as they had told Harry they would accept her into their group if she came to them first, but she would still have to convince them of her worth to be apart their family. Informing them, as they sat down, that the reason why the cans hadn't alerted them was because someone had to have taken them down sometime today as Daryl had checked on them just this morning. Carol quietly commenting that Shane had come back with a string of cans earlier around midday as she was folding clothes. This information making all three of them very pissed off as they had warned the group about how they had put up their warning systems when they first arrived here, and the day that Shane had taken matters into his own hands by deciding they weren't needed without telling them was the night they actually needed them the most. Harry calling out for them to be careful when they made to storm over to the camp to flay the officer alive. 'Maybe now they'll be the ones with the entertaining story tonight' Snickering at the thought of the tables being turned from him to the brothers for once.

A few minutes later, as his legs were falling asleep under the weight of supporting a baby and ten year old in his lap, he directed Carol to lay Sophia down in his tent as he slowly made his way onto his feet, laying Carl down on his sleeping bag and taking Teddy from him placing him in his traveling baby crib, both their eyes softening as Carl and Sophia curled up around each other in their sleep. Pulling back from the tent and silently dragging their chairs back towards it so they could sit outside the flaps in case one of them woke up. Making light conversation as a way to get to know each other, Carol telling him the whole story about how she had to put down her walker husband with a pickaxe, staying quiet about how he already knew of Ed's demise and silently wishing he could have done the same with his 'beloved' uncle.

Harry blushing a bright pink as she changed the subject to something a bit lighter, which was apparently teasing him about his obvious crush on Merle as she had noticed him checking him out, quietly disparaging over her strong observation skills as she continued to tease him mercilessly. Only letting up when both Merle and Daryl came back, still giving him a cheeky wink as she took hers and Sophia's things off of Daryl, who had gathered up the rest of her things once he had said his piece and left the rest to an irate Merle, thanking him as she set them down beside where she was sitting next to him.

Pulling up their own chairs to sit in front of them, settling in as they gave them a quick run down of what happened when they, more like Merle, confronted Shane on as to why he thought it was his responsibility to take down their cans. Telling them how they had made it to them as they were discussing between themselves the nessesity of leaving the quarry and heading for either Fort Bennings military base or a CDC located inside the city that was said to have been researching the virus before everything went down. Disbelief over taking him at the limitations of the two options, it was the military in the first place who bombed their own refugee camp and as a muggle raised healer he was familiar to places like CDC's, as his world they also had something similar where they would take samples of new magical diseases and uknown and obscure spells the unspeakables didn't have time to study with their larger projects, and usually those places had backup programs and wards in place that would stop the spread of such things if something went wrong on the inside such as an invashion or exposure, such as the reason even Voldemort hadn't messed with them as batshit crazy as he was. Stating as much aloud, substituting the magical parts with him being from another nation altogether, as Carol wasn't in the know. Although he did express an interest as he was curious if the place was still standing, excited at the prospect of actual answers to how exactly the virus had come about in this world. Merle and Daryl seemed to be considering his inquiry as they to wanted to have answers to their questions, scowling as they brought up that they might have to stick around the incompetent group next door if they actually went to investigate.

After debating it back and forth between themselves, with Carol making a few interjections herself, they grumpily decided to stick around long enough to see if the CDC was still standing or not, if it was up and running they would only stick around long enough to get their answers and go, if it turned out to be a bust then they'd separate then and there from the group and head for one of the areas circled on their map.

Carol piping up in interest with their idea brought up the idea of consulting with Glynn and possiblly T-dog, which they all three shot down still steaming over his assault on Merle the day before. Considering Glynn as the kid actually knew the area surrounding and inside the city like the back of his hand, might even know of some of the gated areas that aren't shown on the maps, storing the idea away for later, as tomorrow they would have to start disposing of the bodies, despite the walker attack it was now almost midnight. Merle and Daryl volunteering to take up watch for the night as they would have two traumatized children to watch over in the morning, tiredly nodding his head in acceptance Harry lent over and gave them both a hug in gratitude, Merle taking it with little fuss as Daryl grumbled uncomfortably, helping Carol pitch her tent and fish out her sleeping roll from the bag Daryl had retrieved. Settling in besides Carl as she scooped Sophia up from where they laid cuddled up together. Slowly drifting off as his mind still pondered on the idea of leaving, possiblly with the Atlanta group, for the CDC later on tomorrow, falling asleep as the deep purring of his panther rumbled out from the back of his subconscious, pleased with the new addition of a denmate with a cub and a strong and compatible future mate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: sorry it took so long. PS keep giving me great ideas as you all have been I really enjoy reading all of your thoughts and ideas, I even integrated some of them into this chapter. Also, tell me your thoughts on the 'talk' with Carol, supply run, naked Merle, and the Walker scenes please.

**Author's Note:**

> What do ya think?


End file.
